Love & Vengeance
by RagingGoddess
Summary: The vampyre's are left with a crazed elder, the lycan's have been scattered to the four winds. Who will pick up the pieces that a centuries old, bloody feud has created? (Contains new characters and old favorites, including Lucian) STORY IS FINISHED
1. Waking The Dead

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Author's Note**: As this is a Work In Progress, I couldn't decide which rating would be most appropriate due to language and sexual content, so I've erred on the side of caution and gone with R, though I think PG-13 would probably suffice.

**Chapter 1 - Waking The Dead**

He was safe. He could rest now. The weeks of mindless running, hiding; keeping one step ahead under the cover of darkness were finally over. No one knew of this place. It was his secret; his ancestral home on the shores of Ireland. With his mind's eye he could easily recall the rolling, emerald hills that led off towards the rocky, towering cliffs. Memories assailed him; of the past, his time of humanity...of the child. What was the little one's name? It took him a moment to remember. It had been centuries since he'd allowed himself to think of Liam and a plaintive sigh escaped him before he could stop it.

The child had wandered too close to the crumbling edge of the cliff, against all his father's warnings, and fallen to the tumultuous sea below. They never had found the body. The sea rarely gave back what she took and the loss of the tiny, fragile, dark-haired child had driven the boy's mother mad with grief. Maira, that raven haired beauty that had captured his heart with one shy glance, had flown from the same spot as her only child, desperate to be reunited with him. She had not cared that the loss wasn't hers alone to bear. He had loved the child as well. The one and only son his loins would ever create and the pain of that loss consumed him now, even as he fought against it. Grief was a human emotion and emotion's made a man weak. He could not afford to be weak now.

He stood at the cliff's edge, letting the roaring wind carry the ocean's mist over him. The half moon shone down, gilding the waves with silver light as thunder crashed in his ears. His nostrils flared, picking up the taint of humanity in the otherwise pristine air. He had never thought to come back to this place, though he supposed the desire had always lurked somewhere deep inside him. He thought he'd left this all behind him when he'd been changed. When the sorrow of his family's loss had laid claim to his soul, leaving him unable to resist when the devil had come calling. Now, here he was. In the land of his birth...and re-birth...

_How had this happened? What had gone wrong? _

The questions screamed through his mind like a banshee. He grimaced, a hiss escaping through his clenched jaws. The plan should not have failed. It's simplicity had been perfect, beautiful even. He should not have ended up _here_! He should be back at Ordoghaz, ruling the coven with his Queen at his side, being praised like royalty. Instead, he found himself hunted like an animal, like a..._lycan_. His mind spat the word at him. _Lycan's_; Filthy, belly crawling animals. Servants to his kind. And he was being tracked as though he were no better than they.

It was _her _fault.

He knew now that her looks had deceived him. She reminded him of Maira, with her dark, soulful eyes, but she was not his dead wife. She was stronger than his Maira. She'd never needed him the way he'd wanted her to. The memory of her sickened him now, twisting in his gut like an ever-hungry worm, devouring him from the inside out. It was her fault. Her and that...that...human!

Human? No, not any longer. Now the human was nothing more than an aberration, an insult. Why would she choose that creature over him? He shuddered with repulsion, biting his lower lip, piercing his own flesh with his elongated fangs as fury churned through him. At last, he knew where he had failed. He had let his lust and jealousy blind him to the truth. He had become what he hated most, letting emotion rule him, and it had turned him into nothing more than a lowly human, costing him everything in the process.

She would pay for her sins; Selene and her hybrid beast. They would both burn in Hell for what they'd done. Then he would go home, to the coven, where he belonged.

Earth suddenly crumbled beneath him and, with a graceful movement, he leapt back, hearing the forlorn cry of that long ago child and his chest tightened painfully. With a will of iron that had been built throughout the centuries, Kraven forced his mind away from the memories of his long dead wife and son. He turned and headed towards the towering stone edifice of his past, there to come up with a plan to destroy the traitorous bitch and her pet.


	2. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter 2 - Let Sleeping Dogs Lie**

The flames of Hell enveloped him, licking his tortured soul with a thousand scorching tongues. Every cell of his being screamed as he fought against the flames, writhing in agony as his body was raked across glowing coals. His very bones ached, stiffened from the blazing fire. Spirals of pain blossomed in ever increasing increments, rhythmically thumping through his carcass.

_So this is death. _

He had not expected this anguish, though he supposed he should have. He had spent the ages wreaking vengeance against his enemies, tearing them limb from limb, feeding off their life-blood. Not exactly deeds that would open the gates of Heaven. But he had hoped, no..._prayed..._with every fiber of his being, for one last chance to see her again. His beloved bride, whose love had been the only thing keeping him alive through the years. He had fought for her after her death the way he'd not been able to do before. His soul had long ago been consumed with fury, his heart burning with hatred against those that had desecrated what they feared.

Another jolt of pain encased him and his eyes flew open. Shadows wavered against bare, earthen walls and the drip-drop of water echoed loudly with his enhanced hearing. A whisper of air brushed against his cheek, bringing with it a familiar scent. That moment of recognition pierced his fevered brain with a blinding clarity.

"Raze?" his voice rasped; a mere ghost of its former, confident self.

The bald head glistened with sweat, like beads of oil on night blackened water. A feral grin alighted on his friend's face and Raze's voice washed over him.

"So, you've finally awakened." The gravelly tones hummed through the quiet chamber.

_Awakened? _There were thousands of questions flitting through his mind, but the fire was still raging within him, stealing his breath away and he could barely think coherently, let alone speak. He was not dead, as he had first thought, though he very much wanted to be. The pain surging through him was beyond measure.

"How long? Where?" It hurt, forcing the words through his dry throat.

Rightly interpreting what his friend was asking, Raze replied. "Two months. We've set up a safe house in America. The mountains in Colorado, to be exact."

With a great effort, he raised his hands, staring at the blackened veins running across what had once been powerful and solid, but was now only wasted flesh. He could only imagine what the rest of his body looked like and that thought didn't do much to comfort him. Taking a closer look at his surroundings, a sorrowful dread filled him.

"Where..._precisely..._are we?"

Raze cleared his throat, avoiding his friend's eye. "An old silver mine..."

"We are living...in caves..." He blinked to clear the pain from his eyes, trying to focus. "...like animals?" After all the centuries he'd spent trying to raise his species to higher ground, it had ended like this. They were once again relegated to the wilds.

"Nowhere else is safe. The clan has scattered and we're hunted harder now than ever before." Raze defended himself, "But, there is another reason we chose this place."

The fire flared in his veins, white-hot and scorching. He despised himself for crying out, but was unable to stop it. His naked form shook on the thin mattress beneath him and he felt Raze pull the quilt back up over his sunken chest. He remembered the vampyre then; _Kraven_. That cowardly fool had shot him as though he were no better than a rabid dog growling in the gutter. Kraven would pay for this insult...oh, how he would pay.

"Michael Corvin's blood has saved you thus far, but you need more." Raze continued, "We've found another Corvinus descendant...one that escaped our notice before. An abandoned female that lives at the base of the mountain, in the city."

His attention was dragged back by the words. "Impossible...we were thorough..."

"So we thought, but it's true. I've seen her with my own eyes and Jonas has Singe's notes. He believes he can replicate the tests, to see if her blood is the same as Michael's."

It took only a shadow of a moment for him to give the order. Raze nodded imperceptibly before rising to leave.

"And Raze?" The massive body turned back to him, "Make sure...she's unharmed."

He could smell the excitement his order had generated, but could feel little of it himself. He wished it were not necessary to bring another innocent into the war, but, then again, the war had begun with the spilling of innocent blood. Why should one more life matter, if it could finally end everything? He could feel the Corvinus blood fighting against the silver nitrate within him. Kraven had done the job well, but, with luck, he would be able to repay the spineless vampyre a hundred-fold.

Lucian welcomed the surge of vengeance in his breast. It gave him a new reason for living...and live he would, if only for the chance to see Kraven's eyes as he ripped out his throat.


	3. Safe Haven

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter 3 - Safe Haven **

They'd been on the run for so long now that life didn't seem real to him anymore. It was a living nightmare instead. There was a constant tug-of-war raging within him, pulling him apart at the seams. The Lycan and Vampyre, each battling for supremacy and his own last vestige of humanity crying out for salvation. It was wearing him thin, this inner war, and he was at the end of his rope. How he longed for guidance, but there was none forthcoming. He wished for a guidebook, some ancient tome full of diagrams and data, to explain to him just what was happening and how he could control it. But there was no such thing.

She tried. He knew that, but even her love couldn't help him now. Maybe if they could just stop and rest for awhile...but no, not without allies to guard their backs. It seemed all the denizen's of Underworld were after them. There was nowhere to go but forward, to an uncertain future.

"This will have to do for now." She startled him out of his thoughts and he turned, bleary eyed, to face her.

"It's fine." He dropped his pack and a tidal wave of dust rose up to greet him. The abandoned mansion was better than their usual haunts. At least he didn't smell any rats lingering in the darkened corners. He was getting real sick of rats.

He pulled the moth eaten drapes closed tight against the pale, watery dawn, watching her from the corner of his eye as she fought with a weather swollen door. With a mighty tug, the door flew open, sending her sprawling on her backside. Her startled gaze immediately locked with his.

"Don't even think about laughing."

The corner of his mouth twitched, "I wouldn't dare."

Through the humor of the situation, he sensed the underlying tension radiating from her and knew she was bone tired. A few months ago, she would have opened that door as easily as a warm knife could slice through butter. They both needed rest and if they didn't get it soon, he didn't know what would happen to them. Still, he had other things on his mind. Things that worried him more with each passing day.

"Well, the basement's a death trap, but at least it's without windows." She announced, sweeping cobwebs from her hair. It had grown longer in the past weeks, settling like a thunder-blackened cloud on her shoulders.

He cupped her face in his hands, those same hands that had nearly killed her a few weeks ago. His skin rippled as he remembered the first full moon after becoming the hybrid he now was. He had lost all control of himself, had been consumed with a primal urge to gorge himself on flesh. If she hadn't been so quick with that tranquilizer...

"Are you cold?"

He shook his head, "No, I'm fine."

As she moved to the basement door, he stopped her. "We need to talk." He said it quickly, before the words froze in his throat...again.

Her brows drew together, creating that endearing crease in her forehead that he loved to smooth away with kisses. "Talk? About what?"

Nervous energy infused him and he began to pace the room, leaving smeared footprints in his wake. "Tell me something. Do you still feel him?"

"Him?" The word was no more than a gasp through her parted lips.

"You know who I mean. Vik..."

"No, I don't." She cut him off before he could speak the name. "He's dead, remember? I killed him. Why are you asking me that?"

"I just wondered." He stopped pacing and looked at her, "I can still feel _him_."

Her gaze widened and a shadow of ice moved beneath the surface of her eyes. "That's impossible! Viktor's dead. You should never have been able to feel him in the first place!"

He slashed his hand impatiently through the air, "No, not him. I mean Lucian. If he were dead, I wouldn't be able to sense him anymore, right?"

"But he is dead. There's no way he survived what Kraven did to him. It's just physically impossible, even for a Lycan as powerful as he was."

"What if he'd injected himself with my blood right before it happened?" He braced himself for the onslaught, fully expecting her to fly into a rage for not telling her that tasty bit of info right away.

Instead, she froze; stunned into immobility. Her eyes never left his face, never blinked. "What did you just say?"

"Lucian...he injected himself with my blood. He was waiting for Amelia's blood to finish whatever it was he'd started." He explained, wondering if he should run for his life. Or if he should catch her instead, as she looked like she was about to fall over. "I think he intended to turn himself into a...well, into what I am..." he faltered.

"You're telling me that Lucian injected Corvinus blood into himself? And that you can still sense him?" A tinge of excitement had crept into her voice.

"Yes..."

"Then we must find him." She stated, "He'll protect us."

Now it was his turn to freeze. "What if I don't want to find him? Are you forgetting it's his fault that I'm this...beast...now?"

Her face softened and she moved to him, "You're not a beast." He didn't agree with her, but he didn't contradict her either.

"You're not a beast!" The words were spoken emphatically. "And we can't keep running forever. If you have a better idea, then let me know, but it's only reasonable to assume Lucian would protect you now. He made you. And if he'll take you in..."

"If he wants me, he'll have to protect you too. Whether he likes it or not." This was said bluntly. "I won't leave you unprotected."

She smiled at him then, the first real smile he'd ever seen on her face and they made plans to capture the next Lycan that trailed them. If anyone would know where Lucian was, it would be one of his own. And as they lay together, he listened to Selene's restful breathing and felt a part of himself relax. Finally, they had a plan and though Michael dreaded coming face to face with his sire, he felt a peace come over him as he embraced his lover, enfolding her within his arms and sinking into sleep beside her.


	4. Someone To Watch Over Me

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter 4 - Someone To Watch Over Me**

She was pissed, plain and simple. She just didn't know who she was more angry with, herself or Jimmy...that sleazy, no good, piece of... Maybe she shouldn't have blackened his eye, but still, it was _her _ass and she _hadn't _given him permission to put his slimy hands on it. Now she was busy running said ass off, trying to catch the last bus. No way was she going to walk home this late at night, not in this neighborhood, and since she'd just lost her job, money was a scarce commodity, meaning a cab was definitely out of the question.

Her lungs ached as the chilly fall air filled them. The rhythmic slapping of her feet against the pavement was the only sound in downtown Denver, unless you counted the police siren's and the persistent begging of the city's homeless. She gave them what she could, which wasn't much as she could barely afford to feed herself. The thought that she could very easily become one of them was always with her, along with the memory of her last day in the orphanage. It had been almost a year...being handed her walking papers, like a fucking convict being let out of prison.

"_Sorry, dear. We have to let you go. You're eighteen now..."_

God, how that rankled her. What had they expected her to do? She'd never been on her own. The orphanage was her home. They wouldn't even tell her who her parents were, why they'd abandoned her as an infant...two days old and left alone in the world.

Well, she'd solved one mystery, at least. She remembered thinking that surely someone would hear the pounding of her heart as she slid through the open window. It was two o'clock in the morning, though, and everyone was tucked up safe in bed. She'd never thought of the orphanage as forbidding before, but breaking and entering had changed that impression right quick. The hallways were gloomy; filled with wavering shadows just waiting to grab her ankle as she crept past. The silence was so loud, it made her ears ache. She'd picked the lock on the office door, cringing as the hinges squealed. Digging through the file cabinets had wasted precious time and her nerves had been damn near shot by the time she'd found her own file, hands shaking with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. All that adrenaline fueled fear...for damn near nothing.

_Melissa Corvin, age 16. _

Her mother's name and age. No father listed. No reason for her abandonment given. But did she really need an explanation? Her mother's age told the story just as well as a detailed accounting would have. Her mother had been an unmarried teenager. But then, was she just the unwanted product of a teenager's wild passion? Or, God forbid, had her mother been raped? Did Melissa Corvin even know who the father of her baby girl was?

The questions flew through her mind as she left the orphanage. It helped that the mysterious stranger that had given birth to her now had a name, but still, she wondered. Had she been loved, even just a little bit. Had her mother wanted her, but been forced to give her up? Or had she just been an inconvenience to be gotten rid of?

"Shit!" Tail lights pulling away from the curb brought her abruptly back to the present. "No, wait! I'm coming!"

It was no use, of course. The bus chugged off, leaving her choking in a cloud of diesel fumes. She took her anger out on a nearby trashcan, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do now. She was making enough of a ruckus that she didn't immediately hear the vehicle. Instead, the hair's at the nape of her neck stood up, alerting her a moment to late. The dark, economy van screeched to a stop next to her, door sliding back amid the smoke of burning rubber. Two figures, very large ones at that, popped out and headed for her. Her first instinct was to run...which she did, screaming at the top of her lungs until a beefy hand clamped down tight over her mouth.

She kicked back at hardened shins, scratched the muscular arm around her waist, all to no avail. The guy was inhumanly strong. Images of her brutalized and murdered body swam in her head. With a ferocious snarl that came from somewhere deep within her, she latched her teeth onto the fleshy palm of his hand.

He let go of her so quickly, she stumbled to the ground, skinning her palms on the rough concrete. Leaping to her feet before he could grab her again, she spun and kicked out, her foot connecting with an abdomen made of steel. She faltered, completely thrown off guard. The man's eyes were changing, flashing electric blue. And his teeth...but that wasn't possible. She must've hit her head when she fell. No one had teeth like that.

"Control yourself, Jonas!" The unearthly voice came from behind her. "Lucian wants her unharmed."

The man, whose eyes hinted at kindness despite the fact that he was attempting to kidnap her, held out a hand. She looked at it confusedly, like a person might look at a pet dog that had suddenly turned on them. She shook her head slowly, backing away from the two men and suddenly praying for someone, anyone to drive by. She'd even welcome a carload of gang-banger's at that point.

"Don't do it..." The one named Jonas said, "You can't outrun us."

"Yeah..." she answered, licking her suddenly dry lips. "but I can sure try."

Spinning on her heels, she took off. She knew it was a futile gesture, but she wouldn't willingly go to her death. If they wanted her, well, she wasn't going to make it easy for them. Who the hell were they, anyway?

It didn't take long, though she did lead them on a merry chase through Lo-Do, but it was obvious that they were just playing with her. Every time she thought she was free, one of them would be right there. Melting out of the darkness before her and grinning like a jack-o-lantern.

"That's enough. Lucian needs the girl." An arm flashed from an unlit doorway to her right, capturing her around the chest and pulling her back against a hard body.

She struggled, panicked tears pricking at her eyelids. A soft, wet cloth covered her mouth and nose. The sickly sweet scent of ether filled her head and Olivia's last conscious thought was...

_Someone needs me..._


	5. Infatuation

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter 5 - Infatuation**

_Kraven was alive._

All this time, the coven had been in an uproar wondering where he was. The rumors knew no bounds and she'd had to grit her teeth to keep from speaking her mind. Things were unstable these days and it was not the time to draw attention to oneself. Markus was on a rampage, furiously searching the farthest reaches of the world for answers. He, himself, was changed. Oh, she knew he was trying to hide it. They all knew, but none would ever go so far as to challenge him. These were dangerous times for everyone. No one was safe from the last elder's rage as conspiracies ate through the coven like a living virus, devouring everything it its path.

But now, finally, things were beginning to look up for her. He had contacted her, just like she'd known he would. She'd known her Kraven wasn't dead and he'd asked for her help. She had sworn to do everything he asked of her, just like always. And this time, with Selene out of the picture, she might actually get what she wanted. She made her way through the manor, quiet as a cat stalking its prey. Kraven needed information and she would get it for him or die trying.

The suspense of what she was doing clung to her like an errant lover. The excitement of the chase, the intrigue, pulled at something deep within her and she had to stop herself from laughing with the giddy splendor of it. The smile quickly vanished, however, as her ears picked up voices. She pressed herself against the stone wall, feeling the cold seep into her spine as she moved forward another few feet. The hall ended here; spiking off into two separate directions. If she was caught...well, that didn't even bear thinking of.

"Still no word?" It was Kahn, speaking with the other Death Dealers. He was leading them now, with Selene a renegade and Soren dead, there was no other with as much experience left. Most of the Death Dealer's had bit the dust, so to speak, during the battle in the sewer's. Along with Viktor and Lucian if the rumors were true. She didn't believe that part about Lucian though. Her Kraven had dispatched the lycan leader six centuries ago. No, the rumors were just that; rumors. Meant to stir up shit.

"None, sir. They've gone deep underground, eluding the best trackers we've sent."

"Well, that's to be expected, isn't it?" Kahn's anger rang false to her ears. "Send out another team to search west of here and don't come back until you have information. Markus wants them both brought in...alive, preferably."

"Do you really believe Selene would be sloppy enough to leave such a clear path? It could just be a ruse to throw us off her true path."

Kahn's voice raised a notch, "I said to go west. We have to search out every lead. Now, do you think you can handle your mission or should I assign the task to someone else?"

There was a slight pause before an affirmative answer came. She listened, waiting for the militant footsteps to fade before she let herself relax a bit. She hadn't heard Kahn leave, but she was beginning to think that maybe he'd had when a barely audible sigh reached fast, girl..."

Straightening with shock, she wondered what secret the Death Dealer was keeping. Did he know where the traitor was hiding? She didn't have time to wonder, however, as footsteps were quickly approaching her hiding spot. Not wanting to be caught, she stepped quickly around the corner, throwing up a hand to her chest in feigned surprise. "Oh, Kahn! You startled me."

Something flashed in his eyes, so quickly she almost thought she'd imagined it, but, no...it was there in his voice as well...fear. That rank emotion oozed from his every pore.

"Sorry 'bout that, love. I was just conferring with the Dealers." He said, studiously avoiding her gaze.

"Any word on Selene, then?"

Again, that slight hesitation. "No, no, they haven't found anything."

"It must be so hard for you..."

"What's that?"

"I mean, I know you and Selene were close." She placed a kindly hand on his shoulder. "Knowing that she killed Viktor and has turned her back on the coven must be tearing you apart. Especially now that you've been given the task of hunting her down...as though she were no better than a lycan...like her lover."

His jaw clenched, teeth grinding together before he replied, "Not really. My loyalties are to the coven. Selene broke the covenant and I'll do what I have to do to bring her in."

Erika grinned, running a tongue over her elongated fangs as Kahn excused himself and moved briskly down the hall. His casual tone hadn't fooled her. His body language alone proved he wasn't as loyal to the coven as he proclaimed. She would have to keep a closer eye on that particular Death Dealer. It seemed he _was _keeping secrets of his own. Kraven would be pleased with her.


	6. Wanted

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter 6 - Wanted**

"It's positive."

Lucian's chest relaxed and he let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. He'd been so afraid of failure. After all, how many Corvinus descendants had they tested throughout the years? As much as he'd wanted death earlier, now he wanted to live. Needed to live...needed vengeance.

"I want to see her." He struggled to rise, mentally cursing his weakened state. His body still burned, but he'd been feeding with a ruthlessness he hadn't felt since his youth and it had been helping.

"Do you think it's wise? To rise so soon, I mean." Raze looked at him, concern etched into his stone-like features.

"I cannot lay here forever, can I?" Lucian replied harshly.

Raze assisted him to his feet and he fought through the pain. He would not allow himself to show weakness, not now, when an end to the agony warring within him was in sight. He wore only his chamber robe and the black velvet swirled against his legs as he walked, with Raze's assistance, through the myriad tunnels. They had no need of light, with their lupine eyesight, but nevertheless Lucian could smell the human long before he saw her.

The chamber she was kept in was large and had been strengthened, so as to keep the long-disused walls from caving in. A generator used to power the few lights strung up hummed in the far corner, diesel fumes rising to escape through a make-shift chimney. She was there. Olivia, his salvation.

"Why is she restrained?" The girl's wrists were enclosed with cuffs, chained to a supporting beam. She sat on the bare floor, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her face hidden beneath auburn curls, fiery highlights flashing in the dim light.

"She's a fighter, this one." Jonas explained, looking up from the vial he was fitting with a glinting needle. "Doesn't like being here one bit."

"And you cannot subdue her?" Lucian felt the humor creep into his voice. The thought of these strong Lycan's needing to chain a small woman up amused him.

"You think you can?" The rattle of chains accompanied the words. Lucian turned at the sound of her voice. Her eyes stared at him defiantly, challenging him and he felt something he'd thought long dead stir within his chest.

"C'mon then." She stood, stretching as well as she could within her bonds. "Quit hiding in the shadows and face me."

He felt the shadow of a smile on his lips. "Are you certain you wish to view me? I'm not my...normal...self at the moment."

"You can't be any worse than what I've already seen." He saw her slight body shiver. Smelt the fear and confusion coming from her.

"Raze..." He turned to his soldier, eyes narrowed.

"It only happened once. One of the younger ones...he became curious." Raze explained quickly. "We leave two guards with her at all times now."

Olivia's snort drew their attention. "A lot of good your guards are. Half the time, they let the other's in here to sniff and stare at me, like I'm a freak or something."

Lucian didn't have to say anything. He could feel Raze's anger rolling off him in waves and knew the problem would be dealt with as the formidable Lycan stalked to the door. It was enough that they were being forced to live like animals. Lucian would not permit them to act like it as well. He shook off the flash of anger at his circumstances and turned back to the scene unfolding before him.

"Get away from me, you fucking butcher!"

Jonas growled, "Don't fight me again..."

"And just what exactly am I supposed to do? Stand here and let you stick me again?" Olivia pushed ragged curls out of her face before throwing out her arm. "Look at what you've done to me! There isn't a vein in my arm that's worth a shit now."

Jonas moved quickly, grabbing the proffered arm, needle poised to strike at the bruised flesh. Lucian saw the sly glint come into her eyes as Jonas fell neatly into her plan. Olivia snatched the needle from him and before he could react, Jonas found it embedded in his own neck. She drew blood from him a scant second before he tore himself away.

Olivia had no idea what these creatures were. They had held her captive for, she thought, two weeks now, pulling the blood from her body. She didn't know what they wanted with her, but her patience had long since given out. After that one had...changed...and tried to attack her, she'd become subdued. But once she'd figured out they weren't planning to eat her for dinner, that she was somehow important to them, she'd watched and waited. Now the moment for truth was at hand. Jonas' face was distorted with rage, eyes glowing as he advanced on her, but she put the needle to her own neck and he froze.

"Tsk, tsk, Jonas..." The smooth voice drifted out from the shadows. "You walked right into her trap. Put down the needle, Olivia."

"And what will you do if I don't?" she retorted, trying to see his face.

The air stirred as he moved. "Nothing, as it wouldn't change a thing for me, but you on the other hand. Well, let's just say you'll change in a big way...and I don't think you want that to happen."

Olivia's confidence wavered. What would happen to her? She had assumed injecting herself with the beast's blood would kill her, but what if she was wrong? What if it changed her into one of them?

Lucian watched the questions flit across her face and saw the moment when she fully understood what her action would entail. "Jonas..."

"Yes, Lucian?"

"Leave us, will you?" As Jonas left the chamber, Lucian walked slowly towards the worktable, picking up a clean vial. "Still want to inject yourself, Olivia?"

Her arm dropped to her side, the vial making a soft thumping sound as it hit the dirt next to her bare feet. "You're Lucian?"

"Yes." He kept his back to her, attaching a sterile needle to the vial; suspending the moment when the horror would come into her eyes as she viewed his decimated countenance.

"The other one...Raze...he said you wanted me." The anguished words rushed from her, "What for? What could you possibly need me for?"

"Have you never been needed before Olivia?" He knew the question would strike a chord within her and he was right. He sensed her sorrow...her pain...and regretted his words. "Raze was right. I do need you, but more than that, I _want _you." He didn't know why he spoke the words. They made no sense to him, but there they were.

"You..._want _me?"

"Yes." He turned to her, keeping his eyes lowered to the ground as he moved towards her. "I want your help. Without you, I might never recover from what they did to me."

"They?"

"The vampyres, Olivia. Or to be more precise, one vampyre. Kraven." He looked up then and found himself drowning in pools of blue so dark as to be almost black.

_He was hurt and he needed her. _No one had ever needed her before. His talk of vampyres didn't faze her...it was obvious that she hadn't been kidnapped by humans._ He needed her. _It was the only thing Olivia could think of as she gazed back at him. Every vein visible to her was black and pulsing. She could see the pain in his eyes as he watched her reaction to him. Though she knew she should be cowering from him in horror, she only felt like reaching out to him...and she did.

Her hand caressed his cheek, rasped across his beard and a spark flared to life in her belly. "Does it hurt much?"

Lucian blinked, "Yes...every second. It burns..."

"And my blood will help you? That's what you want from me?"

He nodded and she held out her arm to him; willingly. The bruises marring her skin only accentuated the perfect ivory softness he knew was hidden there. As he trailed his finger over the imperfections, he felt the heat flowing just beneath the surface and knew he'd found another reason to live. She wasn't his Sonja...but she affected him in the same way and he knew he would lay down his life for her.

"I need your blood, Olivia." He said softly as he filled the vial. "But it's _you _that I want."


	7. Hunted Turns Hunter

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter 7 - Hunted Turns Hunter**

They were moving again. Selene was tired of always running away, looking over her shoulder to see who was creeping up behind her. The moon was almost full again, gazing down on them like an all knowing eye. Michael was learning to control the lycan part of himself better with each passing day, but her nerves were still raw as Hell when it came time to face the full moon. That one night...with a shiver, she pushed it from her mind. She didn't want to think of it, of what might have happened.

"Have you noticed it?" Michael's voice drifted to her through the fog.

"The vampyre's, you mean?" Over the past three weeks, the number of vampyre's following them had decreased. She didn't understand why, but it was a welcome relief. Especially since the lycan's were still hot on their trail.

"Yeah. What do you think it means?"

She felt him move up behind her and had to suppress the instinct to turn and fight. She'd spent too many years having to watch her back. "I don't know, but there's no sense worrying over it, is there? Maybe they've lost our track."

"Maybe. But the other's haven't. I can smell them." She heard him sniff the air. "They're not far behind. Two, maybe three of them."

"Should we question them, do you think?" Selene wasn't worried about being outnumbered. They _were _talking about mere lycan's after all and she'd spent three centuries hunting and killing that particular species. Old habits die hard.

Michael stopped and looked around the glade. "I think we should. Who knows when we'll have better odds. No vamps around and there's only a few of the lycan's. We can handle them."

"And maybe one of them will have the information we need, right?"

"Among other things." Michael's answer was nonchalant. Too much so.

"Getting a bit bored, are you?"

"Just a bit." He grinned at her. Causing barely a ripple in the mist, he disappeared.

"Show off..." Selene muttered. When she heard his chuckle waver towards her, she grinned despite herself as she stepped back under the overhanging branches of a willow.

She saw them then, though they hadn't yet spotted her. There were three of them and she knew they had scented her. They were wary, taking their time, searching for the ambush. Luckily, they were still in their human form. It wouldn't have done Michael and her any good if they'd been changed. There was no reasoning with a lycan in that state. She raised her beretta's and let out a slow breath.

"Don't take another step." Selene spoke quietly, her eyes half closed as adrenaline flooded her system. God, how she missed the hunt!

She caught sight of Michael then. He had changed and his darkened skin was glowing in the moonlight, eyes like twin pools of oil. He grabbed one of the lycan's by the throat, holding him above the ground as though he weighed no more than a child. The lycan's legs flailed out and he tried to change. Sensing this, Michael quickly dropped him and backed off with a feral growl. Selene stepped forward, guns at the ready.

"We won't hurt you." She said, keeping an eye on the abused lycan laying at Michael's feet. If he so much as twitched, she was going to pump him full of silver. "We just want information."

"Why are you following us?" Michael asked, hands curled into fists.

One of the others, a tall, dark haired man, looked at Michael as though he were daft. "Seen any mirror's lately?"

Selene rolled her eyes, "Give over. He's a hybrid, a high commodity...we know that. What we want to know is, are you friend or foe?"

"You're not dead, are you?"

"Your name." Michael took a step towards him.

Dark curls glistened in the moonlight as the man bowed, a sarcastic glint in his eye. "Drake, at your service. My companions, Emma and Caz." The latter still sat on the ground, rubbing his throat.

"Tell us..." Selene's gaze flicked between the three. "Where's Lucian these days?"

A guarded look stole into Drake's eyes, "Dead."

"No, he's not." Michael stated flatly, taking another step closer. "Where is he?"

Emma spoke up then, her voice tinkling through the night air. "What makes you think he survived Kraven's cowardice? As far as the Underworld is concerned, Lucian died in the sewers...along with Viktor." She gave Selene a pointed look.

"Right, but we know better and we need to contact him." Michael didn't like the look on Selene's face. They needed answers and answers were hard to get from dead bodies.

"Oh, just tell them for Christ's sake!" Caz grumbled, making no move to get to his feet.

Drake looked the two of them over, lip curling in disgust at Selene. "I don't deal with vampyre's."

"And I _kill _your kind." Selene hissed, eyes luminescent.

"Forgive him. He's male. It's the testosterone, you know." Emma said, stepping between them, seemingly not offended by Selene's comment. "We were sent to guard you. To make sure you survived the aftermath."

"And it hasn't been easy. Those damn Death Dealer's have been all over you like shit on a pig." Caz interrupted.

"_Have _being the operative word. Where are they now?" Michael asked.

Drake snorted, glancing slyly at Selene. "You still have friends within the coven, it seems. They've been sent on a wild goose chase for the time being."

"Yes, they're busy chasing phantoms now." Emma grinned. "Gives us time to get you out of the country."

Michael and Selene exchanged a glance. This was going much smoother than either of them had anticipated. Was it a trap? Or a genuine offer of help?

"Don't look so worried. Much as I detest your kind, I'd never go against _his _wishes." Drake laughed harshly. "He'd have me drawn and quartered."

"That's twice now you've mentioned your mysterious benefactor." Selene said, "I don't suppose you're speaking of Lucian?"

The three lycan's glanced at each other, words unspoken, but they all seemed to reach the same conclusion. Drake bowed to Michael again, formally this time.

"Lucian very much wants to see you again. If you agree, we were told to bring you to him."

And so the next stage of their journey began.


	8. Heart's Desire

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter 8 - Heart's Desire**

"So where are they, exactly?" Kraven slammed his hands onto the table. A wineglass tottered to the floor, shattering into thousands of dazzling shards amid red liquid.

Erika jumped back, hands clasped tight to her abdomen. "I told you! All I know is that they're somewhere in America."

"You abandoned the coven to tell me that? I need to know _exactly _where they are, you stupid twit. Do you have any idea how big America is?"

Her back stiffened with injured pride, "I'm not stupid, Kraven. I left because there were eyes watching me. The other's were getting suspicious and I didn't fancy being Markus' next victim. Do you have any idea how crazed he's become ? He's been staking 'traitors' out in the courtyard!"

"You were being watched and you left anyway? How do you know you weren't followed?" Kraven's eyes narrowed as he stalked around the table towards her.

"I was careful." A pink tongue darted out between her lips, "Honestly, love, I would never put you in danger!"

Kraven paused, eyeing her shrewdly. He'd lamented the loss of Soren and his team of Death Dealers, as they'd been ever faithful to him. With no other resources available, he'd had to take a chance on Erika. His decision had paid off, though, and he knew she spoke the truth. She wouldn't knowingly drag danger to his doorstep. He'd spun a web of lust around her throughout the years, giving her just enough of what she wanted to make sure her loyalty to him never wavered. Kraven knew what she wanted, what she'd always wanted and the thought sent a ghost of a grin across his face. How easy she was to lead, this little vixen. He would never make her his Queen, of course. She wasn't pure enough for such a position, but he didn't need to make her aware of that, now did he? Erika was still useful to him. He would get rid of her when his own position was stronger.

Softly, he stepped up in front of her, raising a hand to caress a golden curl at her temple. Kraven watched her magnificent eyes dilate with passion as he ran a hand down the smooth column of her throat. She let her head fall back, knowing what was to come, what he wanted. It was the same as always, but still, never boring. Kraven's lips teased a trail down her dove white neck, pausing at the pulsing beat. His own breath quickened in anticipation, hands spanning her waist, fingers kneading her willing flesh.

"Tell me again," he murmured. "What did you find out?"

Erika's breath hitched as her hands found their way beneath his silk shirt. Caressing Kraven's tightly muscled abdomen, she groaned. "Can't I tell you later?"

His hands had worked their way to her breasts, freeing them from the constraints of the corset she wore. Her nipples hardened as he flicked his thumbs over the rosy peaks. Kraven knew she was ready for him; she was always ready, but he loved to tease her. Pushing her ever closer to the edge, then holding back. It was the ultimate power...having a woman so completely under his control. A far cry from the addled youth he'd been when he was human, taking his human wife.

"Tell me now." he hissed, lifting her hips; cradling her buttocks in his hands.

And she told him of her suspicions about Kahn, how she'd crept about the manor like a mouse, ears to the wall. Seeing him leave one night, she'd followed, her cold heart hammering a staccato beat in her chest. When he'd strolled to the farthest reaches of the property, she'd almost turned back. There was no way for her to hide out there. He would pick up her scent quicker than the blink of an eye. But she'd picked up a scent of her own. A lycan...and she'd crept as close as she could get, hoping her own scent would be attributed to the fact that they were still on coven property.

"And what did he say?" Kraven whispered through his kisses, tongue flicking against the deep cleft between her breasts.

Erika's breath hitched in her throat, "He told the lycan to tell Selene she still has friends. And the lycan..." Kraven's ministrations were fogging her mind, she could barely hold onto his shoulders, let alone think.

His hands stroked her legs, trailing up her thighs, "Tell me..."

"Kahn said...he said he would side with the lycan's, if they promised Selene's safety." She moaned passionately, her own lips teasing his earlobe. "That's when the lycan told him they were safe in America...Selene and the hybrid."

Erika clutched him tighter, holding on for all she was worth as he drove her to the brink of lustful insanity. His next words heightened her passion all the more, for they held the hint of violence...of bloodshed.

"I think it's time I reacquainted myself with Kahn..."

Then neither of them thought much at all for the next few hours.


	9. Family Reunion

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Author's Note:** Sorry it's taken so long to get anything new posted. Real Life has been intruding on me lately, lol. I've finally managed to write up a new chapter and I will have more soon! I also went through the preceding chapters and fixed a few errors, nothing major other than a small storyline snafu I noticed in Chapter 5. Happy Reading!

**Chapter 9 - Family Reunion**

"Please forgive the humble surroundings." Lucian rose as his guests were led in to greet him. "I'm afraid it's the best we can do for the time being."

Michael barely registered the dank cavern. "We've stayed in worse." He stared hard at Lucian, the person responsible for changing his entire existence, and unconsciously drew Selene closer to his side.

The motion did not go unnoticed by Lucian. "I assure you, she's quite safe here."

"Yeah, well, you'll forgive me for not quite believing that."

The tension in the vast chamber was so thick, Selene imagined she could slice right through it. "You have a human hidden away somewhere. Why?"

Lucian acknowledged the statement with a gracious nod. "I see your senses are as sharp as ever."

"Yes, they are." Selene stated simply. "So? What's the story?"

"If he says they keep humans around for midnight snacking, we're outta here." Michael whispered to Selene.

Lucian chuckled, a soft smile on his lips. "Don't worry, Michael. Rest assured the human we have here now is of great importance, not only to me, but to you as well." He gave an imperceptible nod towards the entrance and Raze disappeared. "You'll be meeting her in a few moments. Her name is Olivia and she's your long, lost cousin."

Michael's flesh pebbled and he felt Selene stiffen beside him. "What are you talking about?"

"So that's how you survived." Selene spoke quietly, "Her blood's the same as Michael's then?"

"Yes."

"I don't have a cousin named Olivia." Michael's confused gaze flew between them.

"You remember your Aunt Melissa?"

Brows drawing together, Michael answered, "Yes, but she died in some kind of accident when I was young. I think I only met her once or twice...and she didn't have any kids as far as I know."

"Correction. She had a daughter when she was sixteen. Unfortunately, her parents didn't approve of her...unwedded state. They forced her to give the child up." Lucian gestured, "And here she is. Olivia, come meet Michael."

Michael quickly found himself engulfed in a flurry of auburn curls and lithe limbs. His first reaction was to push the girl away, not sure if she meant him harm or not, but she had him locked in a bear hug. So, not knowing what else to do, he hugged her back.

"Olivia, let him breathe at least, will you?" Lucian's amused response to her display of affection had her letting go of Michael and taking a quick step back.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to get so excited." Olivia took a deep breath, then held out her hand to him. "It's very nice to meet you, Michael. You too, Selene."

"It's, uh, nice to meet you too..." He replied.

Selene was amused with the girl's sudden formality. At least, she was until she saw the look that passed between Olivia and Lucian. And the slight touch she gave him as she passed by him. Selene wondered what exactly was going on between the lycan leader and the human. Whatever it was, she hoped it wasn't serious. Things were fucked up enough without adding another of Lucian's failed relationships into the mix.

Olivia plopped herself into a half-rotted recliner, curling her bare feet up under herself. The springs beneath her groaned, the cushion sinking almost to the floor, but she seemed not to notice. Michael looked her over, noting that she looked like any other healthy human being. She was obviously not being held against her will. Olivia's skin had a rosy tint that suggested she'd been outside recently, she wasn't suffering from any malnutrition that he could notice...and she was staring at him with morbid fascination. Michael cleared his throat in embarrassment.

"So, how much did you tell her?" Selene broke the awkward silence, turning to face Lucian.

"Uh, hello?" Olivia crossed her arms over her chest, "I can speak for myself, ya know."

Lucian recognized the defiant tilt to Olivia's chin and moved to stand behind her. "I've told her everything." He shrugged his shoulders, "I thought she had a right to know."

Olivia narrowed her eyes, looking back at Lucian. "Am I not allowed to speak or something?"

"Please, by all means," Selene said sharply, "If you have something important to say, feel free to jump in at any time."

"Selene..." Michael began, looking at her confusedly.

"Piss off!" Olivia moved quicker than Lucian had anticipated, jumping to her feet.

"No, you piss off you bloody, little human!" Selene retorted.

Olivia took a step towards the vampyre, eyes narrowed dangerously. "What the fuck is your problem?" She demanded, throwing off the restraining hand Lucian had placed on her shoulder.

"Wait a minute..." Michael tried intervening, confused by the sudden animosity between the two women, but Selene waved him off.

"My problem is this." Selene made a disgusted gesture towards Lucian and Olivia. "Have you forgotten, Lucian, the last woman you loved? And the consequences of that union?"

"What does my marriage to Sonja have to do with anything?" Lucian questioned calmly despite the turmoil raging within him.

"You started the whole, bloody war! And now, here you are getting all cozy with a human. Do you really think your lycan's are going to accept her? Are you willing to accept the bloodshed that will occur because of her?"

Lucian answered, "Viktor started the war, Selene. Not I."

"Yes and now he's dead..."

"And you killed him to save your own lover!" Olivia jumped in, "Or have _you _forgotten _that_?"

There was no warning. One moment Olivia was beside Lucian and the next, she was flying across the room. She landed on the cold, hard ground; a whoosh of air exploding from her lungs. Pandemonium broke out as lycan's poured into the room, coming to the aid of their leader. Lucian knelt beside Olivia as Michael stood his ground against the surge of lycan's, Selene shoved unceremoniously behind his back.

Olivia took a painful breath, checking for broken bones. Her anger had vanished the instant she'd found herself in the air, replaced by a paralyzing fear. Fear of the unknown, of these creatures she knew next to nothing about. She'd had no warning that Selene was about to strike. No chance to protect herself and now Olivia's limbs were shaking with the knowledge that everyone she was now surrounded by could kill her with nothing more than a flick of the wrist. And that knowledge didn't sit well with her.

Olivia glanced around, taking in the glowing eyes and fighting stances. Animalistic growling issued from nearly everyone as she shook off Lucian's concerned touch and stood to her feet. Tears pooled in her eyes and she swiped at them angrily. How human she was. And how completely un-human the man she loved was.

"Don't, Lucian." She whispered, not daring to look him in the eye and see the iridescence that marked him as being so different from herself. "Don't touch me right now, okay? Just go stop them."

Lucian fought a war within himself, wanting to kill Selene with his own hands. Tear her limb from bloody limb for daring to strike Olivia, but he knew Michael wouldn't let that happen and Lucian was no match for the hybrid.

Lucian turned from Olivia and the sea of lycan's parted before him as he walked up to Michael who stared at him with pitch black eyes.

"Call off your men, Lucian." Michael warned, fighting to keep control of himself.

"Enough." The word was spoken quietly, but an instant hush fell over the room. "Leave us now. Raze, escort Olivia to my chamber."

The lycan's grudgingly left one by one, only Raze staying behind. When the last of them filed out, he turned to the trio. "She's gone, Lucian."

"What do you mean she's gone?" Lucian questioned, alarm filling his eyes.

"Just that." Raze shrugged, "When I went to escort her, she'd already left."

Michael's voice was full of concern. "She's safe here, isn't she? Lucian, your men wouldn't..."

"Under normal circumstances, she's perfectly safe, but as things now stand..." Lucian spoke sharply, "She must be located quickly. There's too much bloodlust in the air right now." He said this last with a condescending look cast in Selene's direction.

Selene had enough grace left in her to look abashed. "I'm...sorry, Lucian. I'll help search for her. She can't have gone far."

"We'll all go." Michael headed for the exit, but Lucian stopped him.

"No. I'm afraid things are rather too tense for you two to be wandering around. Raze can escort you to your chamber...and stand guard while you rest."

Selene and Michael exchanged glances. He was disappointed with her, she could see it in his eyes. But that didn't matter now. All that mattered was finding the girl and bringing her back safely. Unfortunately, if Olivia had left the caves, then Selene couldn't help track her. They had managed to arrive just before dawn and now it was full daylight outside.

"Don't worry. I'll find her." Lucian said quietly. He knew her scent well and he would bring her back...or die trying.


	10. Pools of Red

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Author's Note: **It was with great surprise that I opened my e-mail the other day and found a wonderful review waiting for me. Having been caught up in the Holiday Crush (thank God that's finally over with...at least for another year...) I haven't added anything new for Quite Some Time cough so I was a bit shocked to realize that people were still reading the story...and seemed to be waiting for more. Thanks Blackstars, for the encouragement! It's always great to get positive feedback...and it served as a kick in the butt for me to get back to writing! There's more on the way, as I already have the ending written in my head...and I hope to have it posted up here soon.

**Chapter Ten - Pools of Red**

Kraven eyed the naked, dangling form with disgust. Blood pooled beneath the chained figure, streaming from the dozens of lash marks he'd already inflicted. How he loathed having to do his own dirty work. Kraven had once commanded others to do this shit and now, here he was, stepping back from the stinking mess he'd made of the prisoner. It had been centuries since he'd held a whip in his hands and the first few lashes had been sloppy, but he'd quickly regained the skill he'd once had, though the joy he'd once felt in doing so still hadn't made an appearance.

"Are you ready to talk yet, Kahn? Or should I continue." Kraven swiped at a bead of sweat that threatened to run into his eye.

Kahn painfully sucked air into his lungs. "Go…fuck yourself."

A harsh laugh sounded from Kraven, "I see you still have some will of your own left in your worthless hide."

"More than you will ever know..."

The crack was sudden, giving Kahn no chance to prepare himself as the whip sharply bit into his already flayed skin. A piercing scream tore itself from his raw throat as pain radiated over his bloodied body. He hung limply, feeling the iron cuffs gouging into his wrists as he dangled from the strong chains. Kahn had long ago lost the strength to hold himself upright. He had no idea how long Kraven had been holding him here; in fact, he had no idea where _here _was. He'd been out alone patrolling the coven's grounds, hoping for word from Selene, when a cracking pain had pierced his skull, flooding his world with darkness. When he'd awakened, he'd been hanging from chains in this dimly light cavern; a chill, moisture rich breeze raising gooseflesh on his naked skin...and Kraven had been standing before him wearing an arrogant grin.

Anger had seethed through Kahn at the sight of him. Kahn had tried searching for the traitor after Viktor's death and Selene's subsequent disappearance, but having lost Kraven's trail early on, he'd let the search wane. His main concern had been keeping Selene free from Markus' crazed hands and worry for her had caused him to let his guard down. Though he knew Selene had been the cause of Viktor's death, Kahn felt that he knew Selene well enough to know she wouldn't have killed her sire without a damn good reason. Especially after she had risked her own neck in awakening him. Kraven, on the other hand, had callously plotted with the Lycans to murder Amelia, presumably so he could take control of the coven and hold all the power within his own hands. In Kahn's mind, Kraven's sin was much greater than Selene's.

"Where are they?"

Kahn raised his eyes to Kraven, noting that the latter was standing well away from his victim, as though he knew if given the chance, Kahn would tear him limb from bloody limb. Kahn felt a moment of triumph seeing the flash of blue anger in his enemy's eyes as he once again refused to give up his secrets.

"Damn you for an arrogant fool!" Kraven roared, "Do you not understand? I will find her and her hybrid pet. And when I do…"

"She will kill you." Kahn whispered, spitting blood and narrowly missing Kraven's expensive leather shoes in the process.

Kraven snarled. He had removed his shirt long ago and sweat ran down his body, across a tightly muscled chest that tightened and rippled as he let loose with the whip again. Once, twice…thrice and Kahn was once again hearing his own screams echo throughout the stone chamber. The sound filled Kraven with a primal satisfaction that he remembered feeling all those centuries ago, when it had been his job to do this on a regular basis. The sudden rush of it flowing through his veins almost made up for the disappointing turn his life had taken…almost, but not quite. He raised his arm again, bringing the weapon back for another round of punishment. Wanting to work out some of his discontent now that he had a helpless victim at his disposal.

"I don't think he's going to talk." The whisper floated to Kraven from a darkened corner of the room, stalling his movements. "No matter how much you torture him, love, I think he's willing to die before giving up _her _secrets."

A rush of heat had filled Erika as she watched her lover inflict horrible pain upon the Death Dealer, but she'd managed to keep her features steady. She'd known Kahn wouldn't talk, but she hadn't voiced her views to Kraven. Erika had longed for the chance to watch him in action, and now that she'd experienced it, she would willingly bring him anyone else he wanted. It had been worth all the danger; returning quietly to the mansion, bringing a few trustworthy coven members into her confidence, slowly rebuilding Kraven's following. When she'd had a good dozen members gathered under her wing, they'd grabbed Kahn and come back to Kraven.

Erika sashayed towards the two men, her gaze drifting lightly across Kraven's bare torso. He saw the way she unconsciously ran her tongue across her fangs and once again, felt buoyed by an unfathomable amount of power.

She took the whip from his hands, carefully putting it back in it's place on the wall amid the other assorted torture devices that hung there, most having long since gone to rust. "Come. You must be starving by now. We'll let Kahn just…hang out…for awhile. To think things through."

"Yes, maybe hunger will loosen his tongue." Kraven smiled lazily, quickly washing up with a bucket of ice-cold water. "Besides, we have guests to entertain."

Erika toweled him off, helping him into his shirt. "The whole coven is greatly displeased with Markus. They've been arriving here by the dozens, looking for someone to guide them through these dark days. It's only natural that you would be their choice, after all you did for them before…"

Her words trailed off as they left the chamber. Kahn watched the heavy oaken door close, hinges squealing in protest, and fought against the hunger that raged within him. Kraven hadn't fed him at all, and though he didn't know exactly how long he'd been here, it had been long enough that even the scent of his own blood pooling beneath him was slowly driving him mad. He needed to escape before his will broke and he unwillingly betrayed Selene, for he knew where she was…and who she was with. If Kraven found out about Lucian…Kahn shuddered. That didn't even bear thinking of.


	11. Facing The Truth

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter Eleven - Facing The Truth**

Lucian left the caves, his breath frosting in the chill air. Sunlight bounced back up at him from the snow covered ground and he shaded his eyes against it. Though he could be out during daylight, he felt much more at home during the night, when shadows came alive and the whispering of the wind seemed to hint at long guarded secrets.

It didn't take him long to see that Olivia would be easy to track. He didn't even need to catch her scent, as snow had fallen during the night and her footprints were easy to spot; they were so much smaller compared to the Lycan prints that dotted the landscape and he was glad to see that no other prints followed hers. Though Lucian felt that his leadership could keep her safe within the caves, out here, there was no guarantee. He could not keep track of every Lycan that came and went, and the younger ones…they still had much to learn about controlling themselves.

She hadn't wandered far. He found her standing on a small rise, her bare arms hugging her slender body as the frost bitten wind whipped through her fiery curls. She was staring off towards a spot that, he knew, at night blazed with city lights. She liked to come out here now and then to look down at the sparkling city. He imagined she was remembering the home, the life, that she had been dragged away from against her will. Lucian worried sometimes that she hated him for it; the disruption to her world that he had caused.

"I know you're there." She didn't turn towards him, but her head tilted up and he could easily envision the defiant jut of her chin.

Lucian quietly moved up behind her, "You shouldn't be out without a coat, Olivia."

"I'm not a child." Her words came fast and sharp.

"Believe me, I know you're not." He let a curl twine around his finger. "Why did you leave the caves. You know it's not safe for you to be alone."

"Is it any safer for me to be surrounded?" She shot back, but she didn't move away from him and Lucian took that as a good sign.

"Are you hurt?" He deftly ignored her last comment. Taking off his jacket, Lucian wrapped it around her shaking shoulders, pulling her back against him.

Olivia gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Only my pride…and my ass."

They stood that way for awhile, Lucian holding her, passing some of his own warmth off to her. Gradually her shivering subsided and Olivia turned around to face him. Lucian was surprised to see tears welling in the sapphire depths of her eyes.

"I was so scared, Lucian." She whispered, leaning her forehead against his chest.

The emotion that flooded him pierced his heart and he hugged her closer. "I would never let anything happen to you, Olivia. You must believe that. If I'd had any idea Selene was going to…"

"It's not your fault. Or hers." She placed her icy fingers against his warm lips to stop the tide of words, "It's not the first time that my mouth has gotten me into trouble, but I've always been able to take care of myself. This time I couldn't and that's what frightened me so much."

"I won't put you in a situation like that again…"

She shook her head, pulling away from him a bit. "No, Lucian. That's the problem. Neither of us can ever know when something like that is going to happen and as long as I'm in your world, the threat is always going to be there."

"I can't just let you go, Olivia." Lucian shook his head, "I can't take that chance. It's only a matter of time before the Vampyres find out about you and when they do, they'll come looking for you."

Olivia was quiet for a moment, staring off at some point beyond his shoulder. When she spoke again, her words startled him and a cold dread filled his belly.

"If you won't let me go, Lucian, then there's only one other thing you can do."

"No." He stated bluntly, stepping away from her.

Olivia blinked. She hadn't been expecting that answer. "What do you mean, no? You have to see that it's the only way…"

"I said no, Olivia. I won't do it."

"Then I'll just ask someone else to…"

"You will not!" He shouted, "I will not stand for it."

"I don't think it's your decision to make, Lucian. It's my life…"

"Yes, it is your life we're talking about here and I won't let you make such a rash decision!"

"Rash? I could have died back there, Lucian. In a split second! If you won't let me go back to living my life as a normal human, then the least you could do is give some means of protecting myself against your kind!"

"You have no idea what you're asking, Olivia." He replied angrily, turning and pacing away from her.

"Yes, I do."

"No, you do not!" He flung the words back at her over his shoulder, "How many times, Olivia, have you had to fight against those whose sole purpose in life is to see the end of your race? How many times have you been forced to flee and hide in hovels not fit for habitation by even the lowliest of creatures? How many times have you had to run and leave your brethren, knowing they were going to die horrible, torturous deaths?"

Lucian's voice rose with every word he spoke, but instead of causing her to cower in fear, his anger only fueled her own. "If you force me to stay with you, I will have to experience all those things and more, until I'm killed. And killed I will be, not having the means to protect myself!"

He moved so quickly that within the blink of an eye, he was before her, grasping her arms in a painful grip and lifting her so her feet dangled above the ground. "Look at me now, in the full light of day, and tell me you still want this life!"

Olivia's heart pounded in her chest, yet she refused to turn her eyes upon his face, not wanting to see him that way. Lucian shook her, causing her teeth to snap together.

"Look at me, Olivia!" He roared and she looked, fearful of what he would do if she refused him again. Tears fell from her eyes, blurring her vision as she took in his luminescent eyes that blazed with blue fire. Lucian growled, his lip curled back to reveal razor sharp teeth meant for ripping flesh from bone.

"Do you want to spend your life like this? Hunting prey, animal and human alike? Running them to the ground and feasting off their living flesh in order to keep yourself alive?" Lucian's voice was impossibly low now, hypnotic even, as he spoke to her. "And this isn't a full transformation. You've seen what a Lycan looks like in full form. Do you want to be that?"

Olivia could only shake her head at him as sobs welled up from her chest. Lucian flung her away and she stayed where she fell, feeling the cold seep into her bones. He struck out with his fists and snow dusted his shoulders as the tree he'd taken his anger out on trembled violently, skeletal branches shivering in the sudden deathly silence that had fallen over the forest. He held his hands out and stared down at the cuts that now covered them.

"Do you know, Olivia, how many lives I've taken? How much innocent blood these hands have spilled?" He whispered, pain lacing his voice. "Sometimes I wonder why you even allow me to touch you and I think it's because you don't know what I've done…how many deaths can be laid on my head. I've not wanted to tell you, for fear you'd turn away from me in disgust and I don't think my heart could take it, if that happened."

Olivia watched in morbid fascination as blood dripped from his wounds, staining the pure snow in bright, scarlet patches. She was shocked by his actions; by the violence and anger that he'd just shown her. She was afraid to move, wary of what he might do next. She'd never seen him lose control of himself before, never seen that other side of him. Though she'd always known it existed, she'd been able to pretend that it hadn't…up until now.

"Go back to the caves, Olivia. Stay in our chamber until I come for you."

For once, she didn't fight him and Lucian was glad. He was weary; his energy drained from the fight it'd taken to keep himself from fully turning. He still wasn't completely healed and, as he watched Olivia run from him, he wondered if he'd done the right thing in denying her request. He wondered if he'd be able to protect her the way he'd promised her he would.

And he wondered what would happen to his soul, whatever small bit of it that might be left, if he couldn't.


	12. Voices of The Past

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter Twelve - Voices of The Past**

Kraven blinked owlishly, not sure he'd heard the man correctly. As though in slow motion, he came to his feet. He carefully placed his hands on the table in front of him; long, pale fingers splayed in sharp contrast to the deep, glossy mahogany. He leaned forward and spoke; words quiet and clipped.

"What did you just say?"

Though it hardly seemed possible, the young vampire, Eston was his name, paled considerably in the face of Kraven's barely contained wrath. Eston swallowed, adam's apple bobbing erratically in his throat.

"The prisoner killed Dodge, sir." The polished British tone of his voice rose an octave when he addressed his new leader.

Kraven managed to hold back a grimace at the sound of the American Vampyre's name. _Dodge…_What had America done to his race? How were they to keep their regal reputation with ignorant names like _that_?

He shook his head, bringing himself back to more important things. "How, _exactly_, did that happen?"

"I d-don't know e-exactly…" Eston swallowed again, "It all h-happened so f-fast, you see…"

"Quit stuttering like a damn fool!" Kraven's fist smashed against the smooth wood, causing the crystal decanter to tremble almost as much as Eston's legs were. "Now…start from the beginning."

Eston resisted the urge to swipe at the bead of sweat that was falling lazily down his temple. He'd been warned of Kraven's temper and really had no desire to give the man a reason to stake him out, as Markus had been doing back at Ordoghaz.

With a deep breath, Eston began. "We were interrogating the p-prisoner…" he cleared his throat nervously. "As I said, we were doing just as you ordered. Interrogating the prisoner, looking for the answers you seek. Dodge poked him with the cattle prod, just as we'd done a thousand times before. We'd never had any problems with that method, you see, but this time…well, the prisoner went into convulsions."

Kraven rolled his eyes, holding up a manicured hand to stop Eston. "Let me guess. Dodge…" he spat the name out contemptuously, "thought he was dead and went to investigate."

"Yes, sir. That's exactly right." Eston nodded eagerly, "Only, the prisoner wasn't dead apparently…It all happened rather quickly. I didn't see exactly what occurred…just that one moment, Dodge was opening the bars of the cell and in the next instant, the prisoner…grabbed him…and…and now Dodge is dead. Sir." Eston took another deep breath, glad to have finally gotten the whole story out.

Kraven left the spot he'd been rooted to and began to pace the room, stopping suddenly in front of the fireplace when a thought occurred to him. He turned to face the young Vampyre, who was starting to regain some color in his cheeks. Kraven's anger flared into an icy-hotness that constricted his chest. His next words were strained.

"Are you telling me that Kahn _fed_?"

A timid nod came in answer and Kraven hissed, sweeping his arm across the mantle. Priceless antiques flew to the marble floor, shattering into a thousand jagged shards. Eston took a couple quick steps backward towards the door, fully expecting Kraven to order his death.

"This is unbelievable!" Kraven shouted, his anger finally taking hold. "Kahn was on the brink of telling me everything I wanted to know! One more day without sustenance and he would have broken down."

"I'm sorry, sir." Eston fell to his knees, bowing before his new lord. If he had to kiss ass to keep his life, then so be it. "Please forgive my ignorance! I never would have thought the prisoner able to concoct such a scheme while in his present state. I will do anything to make this up to you, my lord. Anything, just give me your orders."

Kraven, though still angry, felt a bit mollified seeing the younger one groveling before him. This was how things were meant to be. With the others knowing he held their lives within his grasp. He stared hard at the back of Eston's head, wondering if he should make an example of him…but no. He would do better to spare the young one. Kraven would then have a truly grateful follower, one who would do all that was asked of him. Like Erika.

"Rise, young Eston." Kraven said, settling himself down into a huge, leather chair. He lazily held out a hand and Erika quickly placed a glass brimming with red liquid into it. She had heretofore kept herself hidden in the shadows, like any good servant should, but now he pulled her down to sit on the arm of his chair.

"A lesson learned, is a lesson gained, Eston." Kraven spoke, eyeing the young man over the rim of his glass. "But keep in mind that I won't allow you to have innumerable lessons. You may leave us now."

Eston hurried from the room and Erika turned to Kraven, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "You handled that very well, my lord."

"Of course I did." he answered, trailing kisses along her inner arm. "I was this close to killing the ignorant fool. I can not believe they did such a stupid thing. Have these young one's never gone hungry? Don't they know what being in a full blown bloodlust will do our kind?"

"Apparently not. Maybe there will come a time when some of them will need to be shown." Erika licked her lips in anticipation.

"Yes, maybe, you devious minx." He sighed, "But now I'm afraid we'll have to start all over again. Kahn will still be weak, but he's proven himself to be stronger than I ever imagined he'd be. We're just lucky he didn't escape."

Erika shuddered, remembering the half-crazed, decimated figure she'd seen only the night before. They'd had to move Kahn into a cell; the bloodlust giving him a strength that not even Kraven could manage.

The door burst open, interrupting Kraven's wandering hands. He turned pale eyes onto the young woman who stood there panting slightly, her face flushed and eyes lit with excitement. It took him a moment to remember her, but when he did, he grinned.

"Annalise." Kraven ignored Erika's narrowed eyes as he stood to greet the lithe brunette. She had been a fun one. "I assume you bring me better news than Eston did."

"Yes, my lord." She curtseyed gracefully, pointedly ignoring the blonde woman. "We've found them."

Kraven froze, hairs on the back of his neck rising. "You've found…who?"

"The ones you seek, my lord. Selene and Michael." Annalise's look became more serious. "I'm afraid, though, that you will not like who they are with…"

"Oh, just spit it out, will you?" Erika muttered, downing Kraven's forgotten glass. She wasn't in the mood for theatrics. Especially from another woman. Annalise flashed Erika a malevolent look before turning back to Kraven.

"It seems that Lucian…he is alive and well, sir."

"Impossible." Kraven said arrogantly, annoyed at having been interrupted by what he now knew had to be lies. There was no way Lucian could have survived. Indeed, the coven seemed more than willing to believe Kraven's story of being just as surprised as the rest of them to find that Lucian hadn't died all the many centuries before when Kraven had (supposedly) left him for dead. When he'd stumbled upon the resurrected Lycan leader in the sewers, he'd properly dispatched him, making sure that the lowly filth would never rise again.

"It's true, I swear it." Annalise pulled her shoulders back, as though offended by Kraven's blunt denial. "And worse yet, he's found another Corvinus descendant…"

The sudden tense silence that filled the room caused even Erika to sidle away from her lover. Worry began to worm through Kraven's veins, but he kept his voice calm.

"Do you have an exact location for them? Has anyone actually _seen _them with their own eyes?"

Annalise nodded, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Yes, sir. They're part of the American coven. I gave them leave to freshen up and rest…"

"I will see them NOW!" Kraven ordered, "And you need to remember, Annalise…you don't have the authority around here. I do."

The figure that had been hiding in the shadow's outside Kraven's open door moved quickly away on silent feet before the woman emerged. When he'd seen her heading to Kraven's chambers with such obvious exhilaration, he'd wondered…and crept back to hear the words that she'd spoken. Kraven had been foolish to leave his door open, where anyone passing by could hear such important news, but it was all for the best. This was information that his one true master would reward him handsomely for. Now all that was left was to find the exact location of the murderous Selene…then he could return to where he properly belonged. Ordoghaz was his home, not this decrepit ruin. Just as Markus was his lord. Kraven was conceited to think that everyone in the coven preferred him as ruler. He would soon learn differently. Eston would see to that.

In the bowels of the dungeon, deep below the surface, Kahn paced as well as he could. _One…two…three…four steps, turn around. _It was the most he could do in the cramped space they'd locked him up in. Even then, he had to hunch his shoulders to keep from scraping his head against the mossy, stone ceiling.

He'd gotten lucky earlier. The one he'd taken had recently fed, so Kahn had managed to have a good meal, but even now the hunger still raged through him. It gnawed at him. Made him feel as though he were trying to consume himself from the inside out. He had been so close to telling all he knew, just for one tiny cup of blood.

He stopped his wild pacing and stared down at himself. His skin was tight against his frame, dry and shriveled. He could still see the marks where, during the height of the bloodlust, he'd tried feeding off himself. Of course, there had been barely anything in his veins, but he'd had no control over himself then. Every now and again, a rat had strayed close to his cell, but that had only whetted his appetite more. He had held on much longer than he'd ever dared to hope he could, but still, he knew it was only a matter of time before he caved in to Kraven's demands.

He had to escape. Some how, some way. There was no telling how long Kraven would keep him here; in this living hell. Kahn knew he was going insane…he could hear voices that weren't there; see comrades that were long dead. Though he knew the hallucinations were just side effects that would pass once he was able to feed normally again, his sane moments were becoming less frequent. Twice now he'd caught himself talking to an old friend about Selene and her troubles, only to realize he was conversing with one of Kraven's minions. There were a lot of them now, mainly the young, inexperienced ones who'd never felt a true connection to the elders and the old ways…but those were sometimes the most dangerous ones of all. And to think that he might innocently betray Selene to one of them…

With a great cry of rage, he flung himself against the bars of his cell, pulling on them with all his strength. Whoever had made them had known what they were doing, as the steel didn't move at all. He couldn't believe the turn his life had taken. One of the best Death Dealers ever created…brought down by a traitorous, back-stabbing snake. There was no way out of this place. He needed help, but no one _here _would help him. And there was no way for him to get word to those that would help.

He resumed his pacing, not knowing that the winds of fate had already started blowing and Selene's safety no longer counted on him alone. The hysterical laughter that poured from his throat bounced back at him in the tiny cell, feeding the insanity that was gorging itself on his mind.

_One…two…three…_


	13. Promises Beneath The Moon

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Author's Note: **Okay, this chapter is the reason why I've given my story an R rating. So if you embarrass, blush or get flustered easily, skip this one. You have now been officially warned…as for me, I'm off to write some more…

**Chapter Thirteen - Promises Beneath The Moon**

Selene noticed the girl watching her intently, but she said nothing. Olivia had been doing this for at least a week now, ever since the night Selene had awkwardly apologized to her. The memory of that occasion still caused Selene to grimace inwardly. She was no good at saying sorry, it just wasn't in her nature, but she'd managed it.

That first day had been spent in awkward silence as they'd awaited Olivia's return; Selene not knowing how to explain the sudden surge of emotion that had overtaken her, Michael not knowing who to worry about more, her or Olivia. When they'd finally sensed the girl's presence in the caves once again, Selene had been able to breathe a little easier, but the waves of anger, fear and sadness rolling from Olivia had heightened Selene's anger at herself. Who was she to judge anyone? She knew full well that a person had no control over who they loved. It was like trying to control the rising of the sun and moon; impossible.

So she'd gone to Olivia the next night, finding the girl outside, bundled against the cold, with Raze and Jonas standing guard. They were giving her privacy, yet keeping a watchful eye all the same.

"Olivia…" Selene had asked, "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

"Whatever." had been the shrugged response. Olivia was staring intently down on the blaze of city lights, the orange glow giving off a harsh beauty that Selene was unaccustomed to.

"I wanted to…I mean, I shouldn't have…" Selene cleared her throat. It was bad enough, having to apologize, but the girl's reluctance to even look at her wasn't making things any easier.

"Don't worry. It wasn't your fault." Olivia's gaze flicked over her, "I take full responsibility."

Selene felt her shoulders droop, "No, I won't let you. It was my fault. I've been so stressed and worried lately. It seems every being on the face of the earth is after us…I lost control of myself and, for that, I'm sorry. It should never have happened."

Moments passed in an odd, comfortable silence before Olivia spoke softly, "I've never loved anyone before. It's a strange feeling."

"I can agree with you there." Selene answered, "I never used to worry about anyone but myself. Now, all I do is…"

"…worry about him." Olivia finished with a sigh. "It's a damned tiring job."

Selene laughed softly, "Yes, it is, isn't it?"

Things had been relaxed between her and Olivia since then, but Selene noticed a difference in the girl whenever Lucian was around. They way they reacted towards each other was strained, as though there was something just under the surface of their relationship nibbling away at its bonds.

Selene sighed and put down her Beretta's, "You've been sitting there watching me for days now, Olivia."

The girl blushed, looking away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you…it's just, I was wondering…"

"Yes?" Selene prompted gently when Olivia seemed reluctant to finish her sentence. "You were wondering…"

"Will you teach me how to shoot?"

Selene was relieved, "Oh, is that all? Of course I'll show you."

Olivia couldn't believe it had been that easy. She was so used to everyone treating her differently, as though she couldn't handle anything on her own. "Really? Are you serious?"

"Very serious. I can't believe Lucian hasn't already done it himself."

"Oh, well, you know…he's busy and everything..."

"And you didn't want to bother him?" Selene asked, taking the Beretta's completely apart. "Really, I can't believe he wouldn't have shown you if you'd only asked."

Seeing Olivia's reluctance to talk about Lucian, she patted the seat beside her. "Come here then. The first thing you need to learn is how to take a weapon apart and put it back together again."

"When are you going to show me how to fire it?"

"When you can prove you're capable of handling it." Selene answered briskly. "I think we need to get you some of your own, though. It's always better to learn using a weapon of your own, rather than someone else's."

"I'll take care of that today." Raze answered. Both women looked up, surprised to find him standing there. "It's about time you learned. I was about to offer to teach you myself." He shrugged, then turned and left just as quietly as he'd entered.

Olivia proved herself to be an apt pupil, able to handle her own twin Beretta's quickly with the same accuracy, if not the same grace, that Selene did. They spent the passing nights at one of the many "firing ranges" that the Lycan's had been using; abandoned quarrys, hidden valleys and open spaces far from any area inhabited by humans. The number of Lycan's that joined them those nights grew quickly as word of Olivia's skill spread. Many contests were formed and bets placed (and subsequently lost) on who could outshoot her. Her skill surprised even her, as the only one she hadn't been able to beat was Selene herself.

One night, Olivia finished unloading her rounds into the makeshift target, pleased to see that every round had hit dead center about where the head would have been.

"Damn." Selene said, "You'd have made a great Death Dealer."

"I agree." A voice floated towards them from the darkness, "That was very well done, Olivia."

"Oh, uh, thanks." Olivia fumbled with the weapon, reloading it before placing it back in the harness that hung at her hip.

"Well, I think I'll head back now." Selene remarked to no one in particular as Lucian emerged from the shelter of the trees.

"I'll go with you. I'm about done for the night anyway."

Lucian took hold of her arm, gently, and smiled softly. "Stay awhile."

Selene smiled, gave them a careless wave and walked off. Olivia silently cursed Selene's retreating form for leaving her alone with Lucian. They'd barely spoken to each other since their argument and she now found herself nervous being alone with him.

"Why didn't you tell me Selene was giving you lessons?"

"Because…" Olivia straightened her spine, pulling her arm away from his grasp. "Because I didn't want to have to disobey you."

He looked at her quizzically, "You thought I'd not allow it?"

She shrugged, feeling foolish. "After…well, you know…I just wasn't sure what you'd say, but I had to do something. I don't like feeling so vulnerable."

Lucian paced away, not saying anything as his feet crunched the frozen snow, his breath fogging in the chill air. He paused suddenly, looking up at the moon. "It's nearly full."

"Two days, Selene said. Then we'll have to take a break until it's passed."

She wondered why he'd sought her out and the longer he stayed silent, the more anxious she became. She was about to speak, to say what, she didn't know. Just something to break the uncomfortable silence that had enveloped them, when he turned to her. The moonlight caressed his features, leaving his eyes in shadow, but she could still see the sad smile that touched his lips.

"I love you, Olivia."

Tears flooded her eyes and she ran to him, throwing herself in his waiting embrace. He held her close, running his fingers through her hair and whispering soothing words in her ear until her sobs subsided.

"I'm so sorry." He began, "I shouldn't have reacted so harshly to you, Olivia. I just…"

"Sshh. Let's not speak of it now."

Her lips sought out his and as his searching tongue found hers, the fire in her veins that had dwindled down to smoldering embers over the past month flared back to life, making her gasp. His hands worked their way beneath her clothing, seeking out the smoothness of her chilled skin. When he cupped the fullness of her breasts, she pressed her hips towards his. Feeling the evidence of his own arousal filled her with an urgency she didn't understand. With a low growl, he lifted her in his arms.

"What…"

"Patience, my love." Lucian whispered, moving quickly through the shadowed trees towards the haven he'd prepared for them.

He carried her into the darkened cave, feeling the fierce pounding of her heart as he cradled her against his chest. Olivia felt the heat long before she saw the flames and her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the secluded cave. There was no hint of winter here, the fire having banished the chill air. He set her on her feet, waiting for her to give him a sign.

"You planned this?"

"Yes." He answered truthfully, not letting his voice give away the trepidation he was now feeling. He could have taken her back at the clearing, not too mention all the other numerous times while they'd been sharing a chamber, but he'd wanted to wait until all her hesitancy had disappeared. Even before their argument, she'd still been uncertain and he'd sensed that.

Olivia stared at him, seeing the question in his eyes. "And what if I'd refused you?"

Lucian shrugged, "I'd have tried again another time. I want you, Olivia, with all my being, but I won't have you until you're ready. If I must wait, then I shall do so."

Olivia didn't need to think on it, her mind had been made up the moment he'd confessed his love for her and knowing he'd prepared this secluded spot to give them privacy only made her want him more. Locking eyes with him, she slowly undressed, baring her body and soul to him.

Lucian stared at her, relishing the way the firelight cast wavering shadows against the perfection of her skin. He'd not felt this way about anyone for so long and his hands trembled as he reached out for her. He lowered his mouth to hers; teasing her with his tongue, sucking gently on her lips. He moved lower, taking her nipple into his mouth, biting the sensitive peak tenderly, his blood quickening with her indrawn breath.

"Lucian…" Olivia looked at him, her eyes dilated with passion. Her legs could no longer hold her and she sank to the furs that he'd spread over the ground. Their softness felt decadent against her naked skin and she rubbed her cheek against the nearest one. Lucian shed his own clothing before joining her and the sight of his arousal made her blush.

"Are you frightened?" He whispered, trailing a hand along her thigh.

"Yes, a little." A breathy laugh escaped her throat, "Stupid, isn't it?"

"There's nothing wrong with being frightened of the unknown." He explained, "It will hurt the first time, just a bit, but never again. I promise. Do you trust me?"

"With all my heart."

He kissed her slowly, taking the time to bring her passion back up to where it had been before. The trust she showed in giving him full access to her body heightened his own passion. Then she timidly began to explore him as well. As she noticed his reaction to her, Olivia's touch grew bolder until he thought he wouldn't be able to control himself a moment longer. He lowered himself over her and she took him into her willingly, crying out softly at the sudden, sharp pain.

Lucian tried controlling himself as the animal within him fought to get out. The scent of her lost innocence coupled with their passion drove him towards the brink and he felt the beginning of his transformation taking place. Worried that he would frighten her, or worse yet, hurt her, he paused and laid his forehead against her neck, feeling the rapid beat of her lifeblood pulsing through her.

Sensing his hesitation, Olivia laid the palm of her hand against his bearded cheek, trying to turn him towards her. "Lucian? What is it?"

"No, don't…I'm sorry…Just give me a moment." He didn't want her to see him like this, not again.

Understanding dawned on her and she cradled his face within her hands. "I'm not scared of you, Lucian. You're the keeper of my heart..." Olivia gently forced him to look at her. She brought her lips up to his, running a tongue across his bared fangs. "…and I want you, just as you are."

The blue radiance of his eyes gazed into her own. "I don't want to hurt you…"

"You won't." She whispered, moving her hips beneath him once more. "I trust you, Lucian."

He couldn't have stopped again if his life depended on it. If she'd asked just then, he would have pierced her tender skin in an instant to mark her as his, so little self-control did he have left. But she didn't ask…and with a savage growl, Lucian made her his for all time in the only other way he knew how.


	14. A Master's Plan

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This chapter is dedicated to BlackStars. Get well soon and I'll have more chapter's up as quick as I can! I wrote this pretty fast, so I hope it makes sense...if it doesn't, someone let me know, lol.

**Chapter Fourteen - A Master's Plan**

"You have news?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"It has been barely a month since I sent you on your errand, Servant." The words were barely a whisper as they flowed through the silken hood. "I trust your news is great, to have taken you away from the traitor's camp so soon."

"Yes, my Lord. You will be well pleased."

Though the chilled marble was rigid and his knees had begun to ache, Eston made no move to rise. He'd learned that Markus was a different master these days; wont to fly into a rage at the drop of a hat. It was better to suffer in silence until Markus gave him leave to make himself more comfortable.

The swish of robes alerted him to movement, a brush of cold air touched his cheek, yet Eston did not look up as most other's would have done. He was being tested; he knew that and he vowed not to fail. A solid twenty minutes passed before the chamber filled with soft laughter; a sound tinged with madness.

"You may rise, young one."

Eston looked upon Markus' countenance at last, barely catching himself from flinching. Though it was not the first time he'd seen his Master thus, it was still a shock. He was used to viewing an Elder that held his head up high with haughty arrogance, but now…now, the last Elder left to the coven was forced to hide his proud features beneath a dark, silken hood lest those under his care shy from him in disgust. To Eston's knowledge, all those that had glimpsed Markus' hybrid form were now dead; burned to death beneath the sun's harsh glare in an attempt to keep the truth from the coven. It had not worked, of course. Everyone had known of the change almost at once and those that could not stand the thought of being lead by such a creature had long since fled the mansion in search of a pure blood to lead them.

When word of Kraven's survival had reached Ordoghaz, the exodus had been swift and sure. The mansion was no longer filled to capacity with his kind. Most of them had left in search of Kraven and his decadence, dismissing from their minds the plight of the last Elder, but not Eston. He'd watched, hatred churning in his gut, as those he'd once called friends had abandoned their Master, running to the sanctuary Kraven had surreptitiously offered. Kraven…no matter what traitorous deeds he'd carried out, there were still those that preferred him over the one true leader of the Vampyres. A mindset that Eston could not understand.

"When last we met, Eston, you swore your allegiance to me. Is that still so?"

"Of course, my Lord Markus."

"So I can trust that your words will be true?"

"I would never speak falsely to you, my Lord!" Eston fell to his knees once again before the robed figure.

"Tell me your news of Kraven's disloyal coven." Markus made a small gesture with his gloved hand and Eston stood once more, spine rigid with respect.

"They found a spy within our own walls, Lord. Someone who has been plotting with the Lycans to keep Selene and Michael from your grasp." Eston dared not even blink when Markus began pacing the cavernous chamber.

"Who dared to take such action against me?"

"The one Vampyre we thought to be trustworthy above all others…Kahn."

"And does Kahn know where the bitch has hidden herself and her lover?"

"I was in charge of interrogating the prisoner and the Death Dealer kept his secrets well, though Kraven tried every means he could think of to break his will. The most we could learn was that they were in America. Then Kraven received word that…"

Eston paused, acutely aware of how dangerous his position now was. Though his news was important, he didn't relish being the bearer of it. Markus turned his black cloaked visage upon him and he shivered.

"Speak up, Eston. What news could be so bad as to freeze your tongue?"

"Selene and Michael are under Lucian's protection." The words rushed from him and he took an involuntary step back as Markus' rage broke free.

"What?" The word echoed back from the stone walls as he advanced on the young Vampyre. "You're telling me that the Lycan has escaped death twice now? That is impossible."

"It's the truth, my Lord, I swear it! Some members of the American coven brought the news to Kraven personally. I heard their story with my own ears." Eston's voice had begun to tremble along with his knees.

"Please tell me you learned an exact location! I swear, if this is all you have brought me…"

"I know where Lucian's lair is, my Lord! I didn't leave until I had all the information that I knew you would need."

"If you have so much knowledge, then tell me this…" Markus lowered his voice into a whisper that was somehow more frightening than his thunderous outburst had been. "How did Lucian manage to survive the silver nitrate rounds?"

Eston swallowed, clasping his hands in front of him. "Apparently, he had…injected himself with Corvin blood before the shots were fired. That saved him from immediate death…"

"So that is why he offered Selene and Michael refuge? I assume Lucian needed more of the Corvinus strand to speed along his recovery."

"Yes, he did need more…but it seems that there was another descendant that no one was aware of…a female…"

Eston's head cracked painfully against the marble pillar, stars bursting before his eyes. He had not seen the blow coming. Gasping, holding his aching head between his hands, he looked up at his Master. The Elder stood before him in silence for a few moments; a dark, towering figure of repressed fury.

"You will go to America immediately. Do not come back without the Corvinus woman." Markus said contemplatively as he lowered himself regally to his seat. "And, Eston…make sure she comes to me as a human…if she's been marked by a Lycan, slit her throat."


	15. Ambush

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Author's Note: **Wow…just…wow. Thank you all for the uplifting reviews. I am humbled and I am speechless. Thank you.

**Chapter Fifteen - Ambush**

Their footsteps echoed hollowly as they walked through the parking garage, breath coalescing in the frigid air. Lights were just beginning to flicker to life, casting a rusty glow over the vehicles; like candlelight reflecting on the shiny hides of sleeping behemoths.

"We've stayed out too late."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Raze, you need to lighten up, man."

The stony face didn't change one iota. "I promised Lucian I'd look after you. There are Bloods in the area. I can smell them."

"Yes, I'm sure that's all true, but have you seen any of them? For all you know, they could give a rat's ass about us." Olivia pushed a wayward curl out of her eyes, "Besides, I wanted to get out and about. I'm not used to being locked away in a dark cave."

Raze shot her a sardonic glance, shifting the myriad shopping bags he was carrying. "I realize that, but you can bet the Vamps know you've been staying with us and they're bound to be curious. We should have brought Jonas with us."

"Do you have any idea how much attention the two of us attracted? And you think we should've brought Jonas? Yeah, that wouldn't have raised any eyebrows." Olivia snorted, then shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "I say let the Vamps be curious. It ain't gonna stop me from shopping. What can I say? I'm a girl…I like shoes."

A grunt sounded from the deep chest. "And what are you going to do with those pointy toed shoes? Go rock climbing?"

Olivia's laugh echoed as they reached Raze's jeep. "And what would you do if I did?"

"I expect I'd have to rescue you."

The Jeep chirped as Raze turned off the alarm system. He loaded a day's worth of shopping into the back and climbed into the driver's seat, leaning over to pop the lock on Olivia's door. Her fingertips had just touched the handle when she heard the scuff of a shoe against rough concrete. She wasn't worried, of course, it was just somebody walking to their own car, but it was a natural enough reaction for her to turn towards the sound.

The sight of those preternatural eyes peering at her through the darkness caused her stomach muscles to clench in fear and she scrambled to open the door, shouting for Raze, but there was no need for that. He was already out of the vehicle, pushing her behind him as he faced the dozen Vampyre's with his weapon drawn. Olivia's own guns were still in the jeep, stored away for safekeeping as a person couldn't very well walk into a department store with twin Beretta's strapped to their thighs. She clawed at the door, breaking a nail as she swung it wide and Raze's massive hands pushed her into the darkened interior.

"Stand aside, Lycan. We've come for the girl." The words were no more than a chilling susurrus, causing icy fingers to trail up Olivia's spine.

She heard the low warning growl that issued from Raze as he refused to comply. Sounds of a fight quickly ensued; the sickening thud of flesh hitting flesh, grunts and curses. She was terrified, but she knew how strong Raze was and she could only hope he'd be able to overpower them. Besides, those Vamps hadn't looked all that big.

Something thudded against the Jeep, rocking it on its tires. Olivia, crouched on the floorboard and quaking in her shoes, decided to chance a quick peek out the window. She got an eyeful for her trouble as Raze slammed one of the Vampyre's against the glass; icy, blue eyes opened wide in shock as blood sprayed from the Vamp's smashed nose. He slid unconscious to the ground, leaving a smeared red streak in his wake. In the next instant, the other Vampyre's converged on Raze, dragging him to the ground in a massive jumble of flying fists. He needed help and Olivia forced herself to stop shaking. She had weapons, she knew how to use them…and use them she would. The guns were in a hidden compartment in the backseat, but in her haste to reach them, her coat got hung up on the gear shift.

She was trying to untangle herself, half sprawled between the front seats and in plain view of the others, when the gunshots began. The windows shattered and she threw up her hands in an effort to protect her face from the flying shards of glass.

"Stop, you damn fools! You'll hit the girl!"

As quickly as it had started, the firing stopped and, within a heartbeat, Olivia's screams were the only sound's echoing within the garage. Raze had fallen; he was twisting and roaring on the cold cement, smoke rising from multiple bullet wounds. Olivia started screaming his name over and over, trying desperately to free herself so she could go to him. In a last ditch effort, she yanked on her coat and the sound of ripping cloth penetrated her terror filled mind. She spilled headfirst from the vehicle, skinning her hands as she fell.

"Olivia, run!" Raze bellowed. A cadaverous, dark haired Vampyre stood over him, gun pointed at the Lycan's skull.

"No!" Olivia flung herself at the Blood, tackling him around the legs. They went to the ground and Olivia rolled them away from Raze, trying to wrestle the gun from the other's hand. Animalistic sounds issued from her throat as she fought with the Vamp, who had been caught off guard by her sudden attack and was now yelling for help. Olivia let out a startled cry as her arms were abruptly yanked behind her and she felt a coarse rope being wound about her wrists.

When an ear splitting cadence of sirens suddenly erupted, the Vampyre's all paused in sudden apprehension.

"Bring the cars around! Quickly!" The Vamp she'd tackled earlier ordered. One of the other's walked towards Raze, gun held out rigidly in front of him.

"Raze!" Olivia's throat felt raw from screaming, her voice hoarse. She struggled against her captors with a strength she hadn't known she possessed.

"Leave him! There's no time and he'll be dead soon enough." The man looked at Olivia and smiled wickedly. "Not even the strongest Lycan could survive the amount of bullets that have penetrated his hide. Let him suffer unto his death."

She was thrown unceremoniously into the back of the car and as they burned rubber out of the parking garage, Olivia huddled in the corner as far away from the Vamps as was physically possible. She was shaking with fear and rage, praying desperately that Raze would someone manage to survive his wounds and make his way back to Lucian. _Oh, dear God, Lucian_. She had found love and was now being dragged away from it. The unfairness of it threatened to tear her heart in two. What would Lucian do when he heard of her abduction? The thought of him coming after her, placing himself in danger like that, filled her with a cold dread. She wouldn't be able to live if anything happened to him.

"By the way, I'm Eston." The leader was staring inquisitively at her, "My Lord Markus is most anxious to meet you."

Olivia shivered as his words penetrated her sorrowful thoughts. Why hadn't she listened to Raze? She'd shrugged off his warning as though it were a joke. She should have been paying closer attention to their surroundings. If she had, maybe she wouldn't now be trussed up and kidnapped…Raze wouldn't be hurt, possibly dead…and Lucian…

To Olivia's utter shame and horror, the thought of her Lycan lover had her bursting into heart wrenching sobs; tears streaking down her face to fall heedlessly where they may.

Eston gave her a sardonic look, but to his credit, said nothing. Instead, he waited for her tears to slow down to a trickle, then held a lacy handkerchief to her nose. Her first inclination was to refuse his offer, but then a small spark of her rebellious self popped up and she figured the least she could do was blow snot all over him.

Which she did.

He grimaced, sitting back and delicately wiping his hands clean. His bloodless lips were pinched into near nonexistence. "Well then, are you quite through with your hysterics?"

At her silent glare, he continued. "We mean you no harm. You have my promise on that. My Lord wants you delivered healthy and whole."

Olivia refused to give him the consideration of speech, choosing instead to glower sullenly out the window at the night darkened scenery that flew past them. She had no idea where they were going…she could only hope they would have to stop during daylight. If that happened, Lucian would have a chance of catching up to them.

When she saw the tiny airport hidden in a shallow valley, her stomach filled with a sickening dread. A small jet rested on the tarmac; windowless aside from the cockpit. A chill breeze had sprung up and Olivia shivered when Eston opened the car door, gesturing for her to alight from the vehicle. She looked towards the small tower and felt a sliver of hope. There were people in there. Perhaps if she…

"Don't even bother thinking it, Olivia." Eston scoffed, "They're humans, yes, but loyal to us. The stupid beings believe if they work hard enough and keep our secrets, we'll grant them everlasting life. As though immortality could be passed on that easily."

He led her to the plane, his effeminate fingers holding her by the elbow. Lucian would follow her scent here…only to find her gone. Olivia's eyes welled with tears again, but she forced them back. Whatever the Vampyre's wanted with her, she wouldn't willingly give and it was important now for her to keep her emotions held close to her heart. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her break again. Damned if she would.

Lucian would find her, no matter how far away they took her…and then she would be back with him where she belonged. She had faith in her love and that was all that mattered.


	16. Not Again

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Author's Note: **Okay, here ya go. I started writing this chapter last week, but it just wasn't working so I tossed it out and started over…and I'm so glad I did. Though this was meant to be an Angsty Lucian chapter, it turned into something so much more than that. Plus, it's really long, so hopefully this will tide you all over until I can get the next one up!

**Chapter Sixteen - Not Again**

They found him just after midnight. His skin, darker than the evening sky, glistened with sweat and blood. Raze had somehow managed to drag himself halfway back to the caves before collapsing, his seemingly endless supply of strength drained from the effort it had taken to expel the silver bullets from his massive body. Relief flowed through him as he recognized Lucian kneeling beside him on the frozen ground.

"I'm sorry…I tried…" Raze clenched his jaws to keep his teeth from rattling in their moorings.

"Hush, old friend. Don't try to speak just yet."

When Raze and Olivia hadn't returned from the city, Lucian had quickly formed a search party and insisted on leading them himself. He'd refused to stay in the relative safety of the lair while other's searched for those dearest to his heart. When his eyes had lit on the battered form of Raze, half hidden beneath the overhanging branches of an evergreen, Lucian had immediately feared the worst.

Falling to his knees beside the giant Lycan, dread had gripped his chest like an iron band until he'd spotted the tell-tale rise of Raze's chest. Then he'd realized that Olivia was nowhere to be found. That was one possibility he'd not allowed himself to dwell on during the search, but the truth of it hit him then, washing over him with blunt force. Joy and sorrow raged a war within him. Raze was alive and for that, Lucian was immensely grateful, but Olivia was gone…and his soul shied away from the knowledge.

"Lucian, I must tell…" Raze coughed, blood spraying from between his dry, cracked lips, painting the moonlit ground in bright shades of crimson.

"You must rest now. Allow yourself time to heal." Lucian all but demanded that the other man keep his words to himself.

Michael crouched opposite Lucian, ignoring the warning that flashed in the other's eyes. If Lucian would not ask, he would. Olivia was his cousin, his blood, and he needed to know even if Lucian didn't want to. "Where is she, Raze?"

"They took her…" Raze gasped against a wave of pain, struggling to get the words out. Lucian needed to know that it wasn't too late, that Olivia wasn't dead. He clutched his leader's hand, feeling the bone's grind together as he summoned all the strength he could to force the words out. "She is alive, Lucian."

The shock of Raze's statement caused a sudden cessation of movement from the pack of Lycan's. For one insane moment, Lucian thought he'd imagined the words. That his overwrought heart had heard what it wanted to hear, rather than the truth. Then everyone began to speak at once, throwing a myriad of questions at Raze until Lucian could bear it no more.

"Enough!" Lucian demanded, the quiet tone of his voice brooked no argument and silence fell quickly. "Raze. Explain as best you can."

It took an agonizingly long time for Raze to complete his story and Lucian's tension mounted with every passing minute. His body screamed at him to run, to find Olivia before it was too late, but his mind overrode his basic instinct. Lucian knew it would do no good to rush headlong into the situation without first garnering every bit of knowledge he could. So he forced himself to wait and to listen, until Raze had finished speaking.

Raze closed his eyes, Olivia's screams ringing in his ears. Guilt washed over him as he remembered seeing her thrown into the car against her will, arms tied behind her back with coarse rope. He could almost feel the bite of that rope as it rubbed against her slender wrists. She was so small and yet…

"She fought them, Lucian. She fought them as a Lycan would fight." Raze said, pride in Olivia making his voice stronger than it had been for the whole of his tale.

Lucian stood then and called to his men, issuing orders for Raze to be taken back to the lair and cared for. Jonas and a few others would accompany him in his quest to rescue Olivia from those that had dared to take what was his.

"Michael and I will go with you as well, Lucian." Selene spoke for the first time that night. She pulled out her weapons, making sure a round was chambered in each, though the gesture was more habit than anything. Her guns were always primed and loaded.

"The sun will be up in a few hours…" Lucian began, but she made an impatient gesture with her hand, cutting him off.

"That's no matter. We'll find her long before sunrise."

"Very well." Lucian nodded his thanks before turning back to Raze, who was being lifted by four strong Lycans. "Thank you, old friend."

"I only wish…that your thanks were not necessary, Lucian. I should have done more…"

"No." Lucian shook his head, "You did more than I could have hoped for."

"We will bring her back." Michael said, his hands curled into fists, eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked towards the town. "And whoever took her will pay for every scratch she's suffered, every bruise she's received."

The thought of the small, fiery tempered woman, Lucian's mate, being in the hands of the Vampyres boiled the blood of the those that followed Lucian down the mountain. His pace was quick. Lucian ran as though pursued by demons, his anger mounting with every step as past memories rose to the surface of his mind. Memories of another time, another place…another woman stolen from his grasp. He would not allow it to happen again. He could not allow it. If he had to kill every last Vampyre on the face of the earth, he would bring Olivia home to stand by his side, where she belonged.

* * *

They entered the dreaming town with quiet steps, shadows moving silently through the frost gilded landscape. Houses slept, their thin walls giving the inhabitants the illusion of safety, though in reality it was scant protection from those that stalked through the narrow, tidy streets that night. The scent of Vampyres was strong and Lucian followed it, his soul seething with barely controlled rage; a rage that almost boiled over when they neared the shadowed parking garage. Olivia's fear was strong here, the scent of it almost overwhelming and Michael reached out to Lucian with a placating hand.

"It's being watched." Michael pointed with his chin towards the police cruiser parked near the entrance to the garage.

"You think I care about those mortals?"

"No, but it would be better to do this without calling attention to ourselves. You go barging in there, you're going to bring the whole of this town's police department down on our heads." Michael's golden hair gleamed as a ray of moonlight struck it. "It'll just make picking up Olivia's scent that much harder."

Lucian took a calming breath. The boy was right, though it irked him to admit it. He was letting his anger cloud his judgment.

"Jonas, take your men and set up a perimeter. Watch for any Vampyres." Lucian's voice was brisk, to the point. "If you find any…kill them." He wouldn't need to question them. Olivia's scent would be easy to follow, her fear and anger creating a muskiness that Lucian would always recognize as hers.

Jonas gave a brief nod of assent, maneuvering his men with methodical skill while Lucian gestured for Michael and Selene to follow him. They stuck to the shadows, moving swiftly around to the opposite side of the building from the humans. With a fluid grace, the three of them scaled the outer barrier, climbing to the fourth floor of the garage where Raze had told them the attack took place.

Wind rushed past them, singing an eerie tune in the now vacant garage and sending the yellow police tape whipping in the night air. The coppery reek of blood filled Lucian's nostrils and he strove to identify its owners: Raze, an assortment of Vampyres…and Olivia.

"She was injured here." Selene remarked quietly, scanning the area with her weapons drawn.

"But not grievously." Lucian answered, crouching to run his finger lightly along the pavement. The one remaining light sent an amber glow sparking off the remnants of shattered, bloodied glass. "Her blood doesn't stain the ground as Raze's does."

Michael picked up a twisted ball of silver, rolling it through his fingers. "At least they didn't use silver nitrate."

Selene saw the shudder that ran through both men as memories of the deadly substance assaulted them. "Well, there's no one left to manufacture it now. We've all had to go back to using the old ways."

A half-smile played across Lucian's aristocratic features as he remarked wryly, "You say old ways, Selene, but I still remember the days when wars were fought using swords. Ancient weapons passed down with pride from father to son...or daughter."

Lucian rose, surprised to realize that his boiling rage had cooled into a calculating hardness while he'd been making idle talk with them. "I thought we would pick up Kraven's scent here."

"You're not the only one." Selene murmured, brow creasing in confusion.

"Wherever he is, I expect that's where Olivia is." Michael added, moving towards the wall. "And the longer we stand around here, the farther away they both get."

Within moments, the three of them met back up with the others and as they followed the trail that Olivia's emotions had left for them, their pace quickened until they were no more than passing blurs. Indeed, if anyone had happened to glance out their window as the preternatural group passed, they would have seen nothing more than a fleeting night shadow.

* * *

The airport loomed up suddenly from the valley floor, cradled within the hills like a child held closely to its mother's breast. Lucian had been expecting to come upon one of the timbered dwellings that humans seemed so fond of erecting and then abandoning in these silent mountains. The sight of the tarmac runway ending at a small hangar and the one, lone watchtower drew him up short. He stared in utter disbelief, the excitement of his expected reunion with Olivia drowning in a tidal wave of blood chilling dread. The shock was akin to being doused with a bucket of cold water during the height of love-play, not a pleasant feeling at all.

"What is this?" Jonas whispered. "How could they have this place here, not twenty miles from our own lair, and we never knew about it?"

"There are no Vampyre's here, Lucian." Selene said, fighting the impulse to draw her weapons when his glowing eyes fell on her.

"But there are humans." He answered, a low growl behind the words. Lucian took a purposeful step towards the tower. "Humans that better hope they can answer my questions."

"Wait. You can't…" Michael began, that small part of his own humanity still left to him cried out against the violence radiating from the Lycan leader. His words died off, however, at Lucian's look and Michael knew if he interfered now, Lucian would tear him limb from limb with no hesitation.

Once again, Jonas took his men to set up a perimeter. Only this time, Lucian wanted hostages brought to him alive. He would question every mortal here until he had the answers he sought. The rage pounded through him as he advanced on the tower.

"Selene, Michael." The words were clipped as he gestured towards the front entrance. "Bring any you find to the top floor."

Within the blink of an eye, Lucian was scaling the outer wall, confident that his orders would be followed, even by those that weren't Lycan. Michael looked at Selene. She was standing next to him with her guns drawn, excitement rolling from her in waves. This was what she lived for, the hunt, and whatever protests Michael had been about to make died on his lips when she tilted her head and gave him a cocky grin.

"You want to lead?" She asked. At his negative motion, she moved forward and he obediently followed, but seconds before she burst through the entrance, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No, wait!" He struggled for a moment, trying to find the right words. "What does he expect to find out from them? Humans won't have the answers he needs. They don't even know about any of us, about the Underworld…the war."

Selene's guns dropped a centimeter as she studied him. "Sometimes I forget that you're new to all this, Michael."

She glanced up towards Lucian, now crouched on the roof of the tower. A stray breeze caught a lock of his hair and it twirled a moment, before coming to rest on his tensely held shoulder. "He's a good leader, you know. Hell, even I'm following his orders. I mean, really? Me? Following a Lycan?" A self deprecating laugh whispered from her, but Michael didn't react. He only stared at her, needing to know what she knew. Needing to know that what they were about to do wasn't just senseless, mindless vengeance. Because he feared that none of the humans they encountered tonight were going to live out the hour.

A sigh escaped her, "Michael, as long as there have been Vampyres and Lycans, there have also been humans willing to do whatever was asked of them by us."

"Why? What could they possibly hope to gain…" The answer came a split second after the words left his throat. "You don't turn them, do you? I mean, you told me that the viruses you transmit are deadly."

"Not to all humans, just most of them. We can sense the ones that will survive." Selene explained, "Still, more often than not, the humans are only led to believe they'll be granted everlasting life."

"So these humans here, they work for the Vampyres, for Kraven?"

Selene nodded, "And that means we have a good chance of finding out where Olivia's been taken."

"They're all going to die."

"Yes, but it was they're own choice. They wanted to be part of this world, they sought us out. We never go looking for them, Michael, and they understand the risks."

"I won't kill them. I can't, not even for Olivia. I'll help take them to Lucian, but I won't…"

"I know you won't." Selene pressed her lips to his, lightly tracing his tense jaw line with the barrel of her gun and she saw the desire flare in his eyes, his hands grasping her hips to pull her in closer.

The sudden crash of shattering glass drew them abruptly apart and Selene didn't hesitate. In one fluid motion, she turned and kicked open the door, throwing herself inside the entranceway, guns held rigidly in front of her body. Michael followed and without conscious thought, found himself holding a startled mortal body. The man's feet were dangling above the floor, Michael's hand grasping his throat. Selene had another one held at gunpoint, a woman whose tears shimmered in the harsh florescent lighting.

"It's you! The Hybrid…" The woman fainted dead away and Selene rolled her eyes.

"Do you see why we don't change them?" She remarked in disgust, throwing the inert form over her shoulder. "Honestly, can you imagine? A Vampyre that faints at the first sign of danger?"

The corner of Michael's mouth twitched in reply as he set his own captive back down. "Follow her…and if you try anything…"

The man shook his head, face a pasty dough color. "No, don't worry, I'll cooperate…whatever you want…just don't kill me…"

"Lycans!"

The high pitched screaming and ferocious growls from up top drove Michael to disregard the order he'd given the man and copying Selene, he tossed the man over his shoulder. They charged up the stairs faster than any human could ever hope to duplicate, Michael's heart pounding double time in his chest. He hadn't known what to expect when they reached Lucian, but it definitely wasn't the sight that greeted his eyes.

There were three of them, two men and a woman, huddled together beneath a table. The look on Lucian's face was almost comical. His head tilted to the side as he peered quizzically at the humans.

"Well, I admit I expected you to show fear." Lucian remarked, "I just didn't think you would cower from me in quite this way."

"We brought you two more, Lucian." Selene said, letting her captive slide to the floor. The woman still had yet to regain consciousness and Michael took a moment to check her pulse, his medical school training kicking in on its own.

"It's the traitor…"

"And her lover…"

"Abomination…"

The whispered comments reached Michael's ears easily, yet he chose to ignore them, reaching out to grasp Selene's wrist when she moved towards the humans. Lucian had been about to defend them himself when he caught Michael's movement. He was surprised, yet didn't allow the emotion to reflect in his face as he inquired after the prone woman who was starting to issue mewling sounds as she came back around.

"She'll live." Michael said tersely.

"For now." Was the quiet reply.

The men locked eyes, but whatever would have happened then was interrupted by Jonas. He filled the doorway, flinging a gangling youth into the room.

"We found him in the hangar."

Lucian faced the newest captive, who had just managed to keep himself from falling. He was no more than sixteen, all arms and legs, but he faced them defiantly despite his youth. Blood dripped from his smashed nose onto the tiled floor and one eye was beginning to swell shut, yet he held himself rigidly erect.

Though his body had yet to finish growing into itself, his voice was that of a man. "You don't belong here, Lycan!"

"You brought me a brave one, Jonas."

"Brainless is more like it. He fought us." Jonas scoffed, "As though a human could defeat an immortal."

"Your name?" Lucian demanded as he studied the young man.

"Gabriel."

"Tell me, Gabriel…" Lucian took a step towards him. "Why are you not cowering from me like your friends."

Gabriel glanced at his counterparts with disgust and spat a mouthful of blood and saliva in their direction. "They're not my friends and I've never understood why they were allowed to be here. They're unworthy of the Master's gift"

Selene smirked, "And you think you are?"

"Yes." It was one word, but spoken in a tone of voice that dared any to deny it.

"Will you answer my questions?" Lucian asked quietly.

"No."

"Very well." Lucian moved so fast that not even Michael, with his Hybrid powers, could have stopped him.

The table under which the three humans were still hiding flew through the broken window. Lucian had his fangs imbedded in the woman's throat, her gurgling screams unnaturally loud in the sudden silence, her fists pushing uselessly against Lucian's chest. Michael's shoulder throbbed in remembrance. It wasn't so long ago that he'd been held in that vise-like grip, feeling the sharpened teeth tearing into his own flesh. He rose, but knew it was too late to help as Lucian threw the woman from him. Her body slammed into the wall with a sickening thud and had barely come to rest before he snatched up one of the men. The other man crawled quickly to the woman's side, in hopes of helping her, but it was too late.

"If you won't tell me, Gabriel, I'm sure someone else will." Lucian's tongue ran across his lower lip and he tasted the woman's blood; fresh and warm. He maddened gaze fell on his next victim. "You'll talk, won't you?"

The man resisted. "I won't tell you…I can't…" Michael could sense his reluctance to talk, but even so, the man's pale eyes kept straying towards the woman's body, towards the gaping hole in her throat.

"Where…is…Olivia?" Lucian asked, stressing each word carefully. "Tell me now or join your lady friend."

"No…please." The captive started crying then. Great heaving sobs that sent his belly shaking like a bowl of jell-o and the sharp stench of urine filled the room.

"Oh, for Christ's sake!" Gabriel muttered disgustedly. "Just put him out of his misery."

Lucian set the man back on his feet and stepped quickly away. "Yes, well. I think we'll save you for last then."

"You." Lucian pointed towards the pasty faced man Michael had brought upstairs. The man's knees were shaking so badly he could barely stand, let alone walk.

"No." The word was out before Michael could stop to think about it.

He had expected a violent outburst from Lucian, but it didn't come. Instead, the Lycan turned slowly towards him, his eyes twin holes of icy-hot flame that threatened to burn him to ashes if Michael stared too long. The tension in the room was an almost physical presence, pushing down on the occupants.

"Michael…" Selene's indrawn breath was ragged.

He ignored her, his brave lover, and though her sudden fear for him was like a spike being driven through his heart, he didn't back down when Lucian stood before him. There was only one way to resolve the situation and Michael wouldn't let himself stop now, though his soul shrank from what he was about to suggest.

"If my methods offend you, Michael, then perhaps you should leave."

"You're methods aren't working, Lucian." Michael replied quietly.

"What do you propose I do then? Just leave? Forget about Olivia and find a new mate?" The growl was low, intense. "I won't leave this place until I know where they've taken her. I don't care how long it takes or how many of them have to bleed, I will get what I came for."

"Look at them." Michael gestured. "They're all so scared of you, they can't even think coherently! How do you expect to get any information from them? Humans aren't like us, Lucian. You can't treat them they way you would a Vampyre or even a disobedient Lycan. Besides, do you really think the Vampyres were trust any human with their secrets?"

"They know where she is, damn you!" Lucian roared, "They have to know!" But even as he said the words, he knew what Michael said was true. The woman's memories held no vital information, nothing he could use and he feared that it would be the same with the others as well.

"If any of them know's anything, it's him." Michael pointed to Gabriel, whose face was an immobile mask even though fear was leaking from every pore in the boy's skin. "He's too proud, too sure of himself. He knows something."

"Very well. I'll work on him then."

Lucian started to turn, but Michael stopped him. "No. He's not frightened of you. To him, you're just a Lycan. Nor would he be frightened of Selene."

"Then what…" Lucian's eyes gleamed with sudden knowledge. "Of course. I never knew you were so cunning, Michael."

"I think it's something I inherited from my…_Sire_." The last word was spoken reluctantly, tainted with anger and remorse.

"Michael, you can't…" Selene stopped, her eyes flicked to Lucian for a brief moment as she caught herself.

"You have the tranq with you, right?" At her nod, he continued, "Then you know what to do if things…go wrong."

"Wait." Lucian turned a concerned face to Michael. He didn't like what their words, spoken and otherwise, had implied.

Michael paused a moment before answering the question in Lucian's eyes. He felt that curious tug of war that occurred inside himself whenever he thought of just who Lucian was to him. A part of him hated Lucian, for making him what he now was, for taking his life from him, but there was still another part of him that wanted to please Lucian, his creator.

"I can't always control myself…when I change. One of the many drawbacks to being the first of a new species, I suppose." Michael turned away before any more could be said. Before he could stop and think about what he was going to do.

Gabriel fairly reeked of fear as Michael stalked towards him, but the kid kept his cool. His expression was unreadable and he stood his ground when Michael came to a stop just in front of him. The silence in the room was deafening.

"I won't tell you anything." Gabriel's chin went up a notch. "So, c'mon and do your worst, you filthy Lycan!"

"You think I'm a Lycan?" A startled laugh flew from Michael before he could stop it. He peered into Gabriel's defiant eyes and decided to use this new information to his advantage. "Take a closer look, child. I'm much more than that."

Gabriel's reaction to the change in Michael's eyes was swift. He drew in a harsh breath and moved back, his feet catching on an over-turned chair. Gabriel scrambled to catch himself, but Michael didn't give him the chance. Instead, he grabbed the front of Gabriel's shirt, lifting him clear of the obstruction, holding the boy in mid-air as he fought to keep control over the beast within himself.

His senses sharpened, the taint of spilled blood driving his Hybrid-self to the surface. The pain of his transformation was almost overwhelming, it came on him so quickly. He'd never changed that fast before. Gabriel's hands were tearing frantically at Michael's hand now, his puny feet kicking out and Michael finally understood what Selene had said earlier. They really could sense which human would survive a bite. It was there, just beneath the surface…the scent of it almost diluted in the midst of Gabriel's panic, but it was still there.

"Do you know who I am? Do you know _what _I am?" Michael growled, "Do you want to become like me?"

"No…yes…I mean…" Gabriel's voice broke. "I know who you are! You're an atrocity! A blemish on the bloodlines!"

"Where's the girl?" The words were mere whispers in the cool breeze blowing through the shattered window, but Gabriel heard them.

"I'll not tell you." He answered, reigning his panic in. "I can't tell you!"

"If you don't tell me now, I will change you Gabriel." Michael threatened. "You'll spend eternity like I am. Tell me now! Where did Kraven take my cousin?"

Gabriel's stunned laughter was like a slap in the face. "Kraven? That whining, sniveling worm? Do you really think I would sell my soul to the likes of him?"

Michael dropped the boy and stepped back. The Hybrid was raging inside him and he could feel his control slipping away inch by inch. "If Kraven doesn't have her, then who does?"

"Answer me when I speak to you!" Michael kicked out, sending the human sliding across the floor. Gabriel's head smashed into a metal file cabinet, the dull clang ringing hollowly amidst the frantic sobbing of the other captives.

"My Lord has her!" Gabriel groaned, holding his bleeding skull between his hands. "Markus!"

Behind him, Michael heard the quick denial that came from Lucian's lips, but he didn't acknowledge it. Instead, he yanked Gabriel roughly to his feet and slammed him against the wall. "You lie, human!"

"No, I swear it! Markus wants her for himself." Gabriel had long since given up his tough-guy act. His teenaged body was trembling beneath Michael's claws, but the fear only added to the Hybrid's desire for flesh.

"You wanted to be immortal, you young fool. I'll show you what Hell you've consigned yourself to." Michael lowered his bared fangs to the fragile neck, intent on taking what the Hybrid wanted, as he could no longer control the urge.

Selene didn't think; she reacted. The tranquilizer dart caught Michael in the neck and dropped him instantly. Gabriel stood frozen in wide eyed terror as Selene hurried over to Michael's side, examining his once-again-human body.

"How long will he be out?" Lucian asked quietly.

"About thirty minutes."

"The sun will be up shortly. We need to get you back to the caves." Lucian called for Jonas. "My men will carry Michael for you."

"And what about you?" Selene asked. She finally looked up at him and wished she hadn't as the pain she saw reflected there damn near tore her heart from her chest.

"I'll be along shortly." Lucian answered, watching as Jonas lifted Michael's inert form over his own shoulders. "I have some planning to do."

"What about Kahn?" Selene remarked suddenly, "Maybe he can keep Olivia safe until we get there…"

Lucian's hand passed tiredly over his eyes. "Dammit. I had meant to speak with you earlier…"

A chill raced over Selene's skin. "About what?"

"Kahn. He's missing." He held up a hand to forestall the rush of questions he knew she was about to throw at him. "Drake only just passed the information on to me this afternoon. They've been out of contact with Kahn for almost two months now."

"What!" She exclaimed, "And you're only just now hearing of it?"

"They thought he was only keeping a low profile at first, since you and Michael were finally safe. It was only recently that they were worried enough to investigate. He hasn't been anywhere near Ordoghaz for weeks. The Vampyre's that are still there believe he snuck off to join Kraven."

"As most of them have already done, I imagine."

"Quite right." Lucian sighed, "I have them searching for him, Selene, but Kahn isn't my top priority now."

Selene was quiet for a few moments before answering. "I understand. But once we get there, which I assume will be as quickly as possible, you need to understand that I won't leave again until I know what's become of him."

"Help me find Olivia first, Selene. Please."

She closed her eyes and nodded her assent before turning to follow the others from the room. Lucian stood watching in the open window as Jonas led them back towards the caves. They hadn't wanted to leave him behind, he knew that, but no one had tried to stop him. Lucian glanced around the demolished watchtower, his eyes coming to rest on the humans. They had gathered together, like weaker species do, forming a pitiful circle around the lone female. Only Gabriel stood apart from them, shaking with shock from his close encounter with the Hybrid.

"I don't understand." Gabriel turned his glazed eyes toward Lucian. "Why did you…" He faltered, unable to give voice to his thoughts.

"Why what? Why did we stop him?" Lucian shook his head. "Pitiful human. Do you truly believe we need your kind in order to survive? Vampyres and Lycans will be here long after your bones have turned to dust."

"And him? The Hybrid?" Gabriel's color was returning, along with his false bravado. "Do you really think that half-breed will be allowed to live? My Master…"

There was no warning. One moment, Lucian was standing on the opposite side of the room from the boy. In the next, his fangs were bared and Gabriel's tender skin parted easily beneath them. When he finished, the calculating gleam had returned to his eyes. "I am your Master now, Gabriel, so be wary of how you speak of Michael."

"Why do you care so much for him!" Gabriel shrieked, clutching at the punctures marking the hollow space between his throat and shoulder. "Why does his life matter so much to you? He should be destroyed, as should you."

"You want to know why, Gabriel? I'll tell you why." Lucian's voice was low as he climbed onto the windowsill. "Michael is my son, as are you now, and I protect what is mine."

Lucian jumped, his feet landing softly on the rocky ground. He could still hear Gabriel's cries, now intermingled with the curses of the humans who were withdrawing from the boy in horror. Lucian allowed himself a moment of self incrimination. Flinching with the knowledge that Michael would never understand why he'd marked the boy. Perhaps he shouldn't have done it, but even he had his limits and Gabriel had pushed him beyond his with his overwhelming arrogance.

Lucian walked towards the woods, images of Olivia flashing through his mind: the way her eyes sparkled with impish delight as she laughed at him, the way her hair was always a tousled mess in the early morning hours, the way the firelight had glinted on her naked skin during their first joining. Pain squeezed his chest, hampered his breathing, as he imaged Markus touching his lover, defiling her small, defenseless body with his own. Lucian couldn't lose her. He wouldn't allow her to be ripped from him. He wouldn't survive it. The thought drove him to his knees, the scent of pine needles wafting up around him.

"Please God, if you truly exist…don't let this happen." He prayed quietly to himself. "Please…not again."

As the tears coursed down his face, his head fell back, eyes on the horizon where dawn was just beginning to make herself known. The mournful howl that escaped him reverberated through the hills, causing creatures great and small to pause in what they were doing as though they, too, felt his pain.


	17. Tangled Webs

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Author's Note: **Sorry it's taken so long for an update. I'll have more as soon as I can, I promise. I know everyone wants to know what happens to Olivia, but there's someone else that needs rescuing first…

**Chapter Seventeen - Tangled Webs**

They rose up from the mist an hour before sunrise. The tumultuous sea crashed below them, spraying the jagged cliffs and slowly eating away at the sandy shore. The waves threatened to pull them down into the cold embrace of the water, but the Lycan's never faltered. They were on a mission of mercy and if any of them thought it strange that their leader should order them to save the life of a Vampyre, none spoke the words.

Drake had been surprised by how easily it was to find this hiding spot of Kraven's, but who was he to question a Vampyre's intelligence…or lack thereof.

When all the Lycan's had reached the cliff's summit, he double checked with the team leader's to make sure they all understood the objective of the mission: rescue Kahn, capture Kraven and kill every other Vampyre they could get their hands on. Drake's full lips transformed into a heartbreakingly sly grin. It had been too long since he'd felt the adrenaline rush of a good fight. All the sneaking and spying of the past months had bored him nearly to death. He was a Lycan. Bred to stalk and fight, maim and kill. Finally, he was being given the chance to unleash his wrath in the way he was meant to.

He signaled to Caz and Emma. It was time.

The security here was laughable at the best of times, Drake had discovered. Now, this close to sunrise, it was almost non-existent. The Vampyres were preparing to sleep off the excesses of the night just past. Those left to guard the mansion were placed haphazardly within its walls, placid and ill prepared for an attack. Kraven had thought only of protecting himself against Markus' followers and therein lay his mistake. The Lycans could attack at anytime; day or night. They didn't need a sleeping-sun in order to move against their enemies.

Caz reached the back door at the same instant Drake reached his objective in front and the sounds of the centuries old, wooden barriers crashing down reverberated throughout the mansion, echoing against the cold stone walls. Emma was right behind Drake and as they entered, she took her team upstairs. Some were in their true form, but that was more for show than anything. Transformation wasn't really necessary for this type of job. The Bloods were half-asleep already and, taken by surprise, they were in no shape to put up much of a struggle.

Drake grabbed one of the lax guards and flung him against the wall, his arm pressed tight against the Vamps trachea.

"Where's Kahn?"

The Vamp could barely shake his head, let alone speak and Drake relaxed his grip.

"I don't know what you're…"

Drake didn't waste time. He flung the Vamp out of the now destroyed entrance, directly into the first hazy rays of sunlight. The screams of the dying Blood caused a ripple of pleasure to run up Drake's spine as he turned his luminescent eyes onto his next target.

"He's down below! In the dungeon…" The man replied frantically, eyes whipping between the outside world of death and Drake's malicious grin. "I can take you to him."

"Show me."

Around and above them, chaos reigned. Vampyres were emitting ear-splitting shrieks of horror and anguish as the Lycan's tore into them, but as Drake descended the mossy, broken steps into the bowels of the earth, the silence pressed in. Three members of Drake's team followed closely at his heels, while another two stayed up top to guard the entrance. Water drizzled down the stone walls, seeping in through the cracked mortar. The dungeon reminded Drake of the many different hovels his kind had spent the past centuries dwelling in. A chill, loamy breeze washed over him, bringing with it the coppery reek of stale blood and salty sweat.

When he laid eyes on the raving, half-mad Vampyre pacing an impossibly small cell, Drake's anger flared. He had known Kahn as an ally, growing to trust and like the Death Dealer during their months of secretive meetings. Now, the once proud Vampyre had been reduced to a snarling animal. When Kahn caught sight of them, he began to fling his battered, naked body repeatedly against the bars of his cell, foaming spittle trailing from his mouth.

Drake gave his Blood escort a pointed look. "Open it."

"But…" Though it didn't seem possible, the Blood paled. "He's starved! Please…he'll kill me…"

Drake pulled out a pistol and leveled it at the Blood. "And you think I won't?"

Coming to the realization that he was going to die one way or another, the Blood's shoulders sagged. The ring of heavy iron keys clinked like a broken wind chime as he grabbed it from the wall and made his way towards Kahn's cell. Ignoring the clutching grasp and foaming shrieks of the starved Vampyre, the Blood turned his resigned, ice-blue stare onto Drake.

"I'd rather give up my life to one of my own than to a filthy dog like you anyway."

The Blood had just enough time to give the protesting key a hard turn before Kahn grabbed him through the bars, pulling him in close and ripping his throat open. Scarlet sprayed across the stone floor, mingling with the dried rivers of Kahn's own blood and as Drake watched the pitiful husk that was Kahn feed with such a frenzy, he almost felt sorry for the sacrificed Blood…almost.

Drake hadn't planned on letting Kahn feed, but after seeing what kind of state the Death Dealer was in, he thought Kahn deserved a small treat. It was obvious that he'd been starving for quite some time, the maddening thirst eating away at his sanity, and the small amount of nourishment that he'd gained from the other Vampyre seemed to have only added fuel to the fire. As the cell door smashed with an echoing bang against the stone wall, Drake stepped nimbly to the side and signaled to one of his men. The Lycan stepped forward, a pistol held steady in a two handed grip, and as the Vampyre lunged unsteadily at Drake, he fired off a round.

The tranq dropped Kahn immediately and Drake caught the emaciated Vampyre before he could hit the floor, laying him on a nearby table.

Emma found them just as they were starting the IV line that would replenish Kahn's body with the blood he so desperately needed. Drake sensed her anger and confusion long before she spoke, therefore he wasn't surprised by the news she had brought him.

But that didn't stop him from ripping the cell door from its squealing, protesting hinges and, with a savage roar of pure, blind rage, Drake flung it across the room.

* * *

Erika made sure to stay well behind Kraven as she followed him through the dark and twisting cave. She didn't know where he was going. She hadn't even known this secret passageway existed, but when she'd searched for her lover a few hours before dawn, his scent had ended at the massive stone fireplace in his office. With panic induced confusion, Erika had feared the worst, thinking that someone among their newly formed coven had traitorously murdered him in the blazing fire, but then she'd spotted the marks scoring the otherwise spotless stone floor. It had seemed peculiar to her, so out of place in Kraven's pristine office. With a bit of investigating, she'd discovered a secret latch and had been amazed when the fireplace had pivoted towards her, revealing a cramped staircase of crumbling stone. Kraven's scent had wafted from the hidden space and Erika hadn't thought twice about following him. Her curiosity had always been the bane of her existence, leading her straight towards trouble time and again, but she'd shrugged off her misgivings and entered the secret space anyway. She knew well how to placate Kraven.

However, hours later she was rapidly tiring and wanted to do nothing more than sleep. If Kraven's scent hadn't been so strong, she would have turned around and gone back to the mansion. The stairs had taken her deep underground, the path deeper still, and more than once she'd tripped over a broken stone and cursed her foolishness. Whatever reason Kraven had for being here was none of her business. If it was important, he would have told her. After all, she was going to be his Queen this time around, now that Selene was finally out of the picture. Erika smiled for a moment, imagining how good she was going to look on Kraven's arm, but the smile soon melted away into nothingness as misgivings began to plague her thoughts.

She tried to convince herself that Kraven had spoken the truth about wanting her at his side, but there was a part of her that didn't quite believe him. He'd been different lately. Ever since the American Vampyre's had brought word of Lucian's survival and the newest Corvinus descendant.

Then news had arrived that the Corvinus woman had disappeared. That's when Kraven had really changed. Erika remembered how hard she'd tried to convince Kraven that it wasn't important. The woman had probably just run off or perhaps Lucian had killed her. He was a Lycan after all. Nothing more than a beast. Everyone knew Lycan's couldn't control themselves the way civilized Vampyre's could. That's why her kind ruled.

Kraven hadn't listened to her though. Instead, he'd ranted and raved about how they needed to find the woman. Erika had been listening to Kraven go on for weeks now about how Markus had to be planning something. Markus had to be behind the woman's disappearance. Markus, Markus, Markus. Erika was tired of hearing about the batty Elder. Besides, what would Markus possibly want with a Corvinus descendant? He was already a hybrid and, really, that's all the Corvinus' were good for these days, wasn't it?

She caught her toe on a jagged rock and pitched painfully forward onto her knees, skinning her hand against the rough wall.

"Does this bloody trail ever end?" She exclaimed, sucking at her scraped palm. It was all that stupid human's fault. If she hadn't been thinking of the Corvinus woman, Erika would have been paying closer attention to where she was going. She just didn't understand why Kraven was so obsessed with finding the woman. What could he possibly want with a human? Erika froze, her eyes widening as a thought occurred to her.

"Kraven wouldn't…he couldn't possibly…" Erika whispered to the darkness. "He promised me!"

As anger, fueled by her old friend worry, coursed through her body, Erika picked up her pace. If Kraven dared to place another woman besides her at his side, she'd kill the son of a bitch herself.


	18. So It Begins

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter Eighteen - So It Begins**

Consciousness came back to her in slow degrees. She was cold and frightened, but didn't know why. A throbbing pain filled her skull, beating an incessant rhythm against her temples as she opened her heavy eyelids a millimeter at a time. The room around her was unfamiliar; a stark, cramped cell with walls fashioned from smooth, grey marble. A lone candle flickered in a sconce set above an oaken door, making demon shadows dance against the pale walls. She was laying on a thin pallet, the only thing between her and the stone floor a scant couple inches of straw encased in linen.

Something was wrong.

Olivia jerked upright, immediately regretting the impulsive action as a white-hot pain pierced her cranium. Cradling her head with shaking hands, she massaged her temples, willing the pain to go away. She was groggy and disoriented, her stomach rolling like a sailboat caught in high seas. A foul taste coated the inside of her cotton-dry mouth. Swallowing compulsively against the nausea, Olivia chanced a slow glance around. Her eyes were having trouble adjusting, the edges of her vision blurred and indistinct.

Where the Hell was she?

The room was empty save for herself and the thin mattress she was sitting on. There was no table, no chair, no fire to chase away the chill that had crept into her bones. She didn't remember coming to this place, wherever it was. Why wasn't she at home, curled up against Lucian beneath a thick covering of quilts, content in the knowledge that he would keep her safe as she slept.

"Think, Olivia, think!" She whispered, panic lurking just around the corner of her mind. The last thing she remembered was…what? A familiar voice shouting at her and…gunshots. Why would she be remembering gunshots? Had she been hurt on one of the practice ranges? Is that why she couldn't remember? Holy shit, had she been shot?

She searched her body as quick as her trembling hands would allow, looking for the tell-tale hole of a bullet wound. Her fingers skimmed through her mass of sleep tangled curls, down her arms and torso, legs and feet. All her body parts were intact. The only injuries she found were a few cuts and bruises. Maybe she'd hit her head and that's why she felt so out of it. It would explain why she couldn't remember anything, why she didn't recognize her surroundings. But Lucian would never leave her alone if she'd been injured. She knew that as surely as she knew her own name. So why wasn't he sitting here next to her, murmuring sweet nothings into her ear, telling her everything would be alright.

Olivia's tired eyes sagged shut. She was confused and overwhelmed, but as she fought back tears of self-pity, something tickled the edge of her consciousness. Somewhere deep within her fogged mind, a spark lit up and flashes of memory flew at her. Olivia strived to catch them, hording the images like a child collecting painted eggs on Easter. She remembered being shoved into the Jeep, hearing Raze's roar of pain and anger as bullets pierced his flesh. She remembered the searing stench of gunpowder. Slowly, but surely, her memories returned. But instead of bringing comfort, the knowledge only brought more terror.

She had been snatched away, kidnapped. By the Vampyres.

At least she knew why her brain felt so muddled. As soon as she'd entered the plane, one of the Vamps had injected her with something. The last thing she remembered before waking up in this stark room was wanting to kick the smug smile off Eston's face. She didn't even know how much time had elapsed since then. It could have been hours, days…months. Even so, not knowing where "here" was didn't bother her so much anymore. It was the knowledge that she was with Vampyres now that worried her.

A scraping sound caught her attention and she looked up at the massive door. She hadn't noticed the window before. It was cut high up into the glossy wood. A pair of eyeballs peeped in, roaming around the room before coming to rest on her. They were dark eyes, malevolent, and Olivia shivered under the hard stare. She didn't want to have anything to do with any of the Vamps, but her independent nature wouldn't allow her to curl up into a little ball and pretend to be invisible.

She stood on wobbly legs and took a tentative step towards the stranger, her hand held out in front of her almost pleadingly.

"Hey…" But before Olivia could say another word, the Peeper quickly slid the tiny door to the window shut, effectively cutting off all communication with her.

"Oh…well…fuck you too, buddy." Olivia said. The curse would have worked much better if her voice hadn't been quivering with fear and exhaustion.

Not knowing what else to do, she shuffled to the door. It was completely devoid, on her side at least, of any means by which to open it. Olivia ran her hands up and down the wood, looking for some kind of secret latch, but all she found was smooth oak. She tried sliding the barrier in the window open, but it wouldn't budge. Olivia gave the door a gentle tap. No one answered. She pounded a bit harder. Still no answer.

"Hello?" She cried out, her forlorn voice bounced back at her from the four stone walls. "C'mon, I know someone's out there!"

She continued knocking, hoping to drive the Peeper insane enough that he would open the door again, but the silence continued. The candle above her sputtered a few times, fizzing, popping. Then it went completely out, throwing her into a darkness so vast that dizziness assailed her. She couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. She was trapped in a well of blackness. It wasn't long before she started imagining nameless, shapeless creatures slithering across the floor towards her, needle sharp teeth ready to tear into her flesh. The Boogeyman of her youth, creeping out of her nightmares into reality.

Then another thought hit her, banishing her childhood demons and replacing them with real ones. What if there was a hidden passage in one of the walls? Suppose there was a Vampyre creeping up on her right then, intent on turning her into a carbon copy of itself? Olivia's fear rose to a fever pitch. She imagined the feel of warm, moist breath against the back of her neck, fangs resting against the delicate skin of her throat. She didn't want to be a Vampyre. She could never go back to Lucian if she was one of them, a Blood…a sworn enemy of the Lycans. She would be defiled. She could never face him again, could never face his clan. The clan that she had so recently begun to think of as her own family.

Olivia's panic quickly consumed her. She began hurling herself at the door, ignoring the bursts of fresh pain to her already bruised body. She screamed, hating the weak pleas that were spewing forth from her throat, but helpless to stop them. If only they would give her light. That's all she wanted. Just some light to chase away the darkness and her fears and her loneliness.

Finally, her legs gave out and she found herself sliding down the door, kneeling before it like a sinner supplicating before God. Olivia swiped at the hot, salty tears coursing down her cheeks, smelling the coppery blood that oozed from injuries she'd done to her hands during her mindless, frenzied beating of the door.

For the first time in Olivia's young life, her courage failed her and she wrapped her arms around herself, rocking, sobbing. Her mind was numb. Her body ached. Her heart was shattered.

"Lucian, where are you?"

Her whispered plea faded away into nothingness in her dark prison.

* * *

In the elegant hallway outside Olivia's cell, Kraven listened to the woman's sobs with his preternatural hearing…and laughed softly at his good fortune. Even hearing her speak Lucian's name couldn't dampen his high spirits.

Markus hadn't touched her yet. That meant there was still time for him to put his own plan into action, but he'd have to act quickly. Now that she was awake, he knew it wouldn't be long before Markus summoned her and if that happened…his last chance to hold the ultimate power over the coven would be destroyed.

* * *

"Lucian, I don't think…"

He cut Selene off before she could finish, giving her a cold stare. "We've waited long enough. I can only hope it hasn't been too long."

"Selene's right, Lucian." Michael interjected, holding up his hand to ward off the Lycan leader's burst of temper. "Look, we all want to get Olivia back, but it just isn't a good idea to go storming in there when we don't know exactly where they're holding her. What if she ends up getting hurt in the crossfire?"

"None of you need to worry about Olivia. When we go in, it'll be my job to get to her. I don't care if she's fifty feet underground, I'll find her as long as the rest of you keep the damn Vampyres busy." Lucian's voice was deceptively quiet. "All I need to do is get in there. We've been here a week already and I'm not going to waste anymore time _discussing _our options. I'm going in there, tonight. Now…who's with me?"

Verbal assents sounded throughout the stark basement where the group of Lycan's had gathered. Selene and Michael exchanged worried glances, but in the end they had no choice but to agree with Lucian's plan. He was right that they'd waited too long, but the need to get as much information as possible before making a move was a strong instinct, at least for Selene. She stepped up to the blackboard, pointing to various marked spots on the diagram she had drawn up there.

"I'll take my team in here. Michael, you're here. We'll place Raze and the others here, here and here." She pointed out the various other doors to the huge mansion, looking to the massive Lycan for approval. He was a smart soldier and she welcomed his strategic ideas. At Raze's nod, she continued. "Lucian…"

Selene paused, turning to him with a quizzical look creasing her brow. "You never did say where you wanted to be placed. Are you going along with one of us?"

Lucian shook his head, a small smile playing about his lips as he pointed to the map. "No. I'm going in right here…alone."

The silence in the room was overwhelming as Lucian's finger came to rest on the diagram, pointing at the front door. Heartbeats passed before anyone spoke.

"Are you insane?" Michael hissed, "What good are you going to be to Olivia if you're dead?"

"Dead?" Lucian scoffed. "Please, Michael, give me some credit. The Vampyres have never been ones to expect the unexpected, no offense Selene." He gave her a regal nod which she returned with a smirk. "I guarantee you the other exits will be well guarded, but this one? They'll never expect to see the enemy walking in the front door."

"Bloody brilliant." Selene commented, shrugging at Michael's shocked look. "He's right. Besides, that's probably where they brought Olivia in. Her trail will be easy to follow from there." With a brisk nod, she went back to handing out orders. "Drake, we're going to need your team at the guard barracks. You remember the details?"

Drake gave her a lazy grin as he leaned nonchalantly against a pillar, arms crossed over his chest. "Of course."

"I'll be going with him then." They all turned to find Kahn standing in the doorway, decked out in clothing he'd borrowed from one of the Lycans. It was a decidedly strange way to view one of her fellow Death Dealers, but at least he was still around for her to see. He'd been back for two days now and though his mind was once again his own, his body was still struggling to catch up.

"You're not up to full strength yet, Kahn." Selene reminded him, noticing the tired shadows beneath her friend's eyes.

"No, I'm not." He willingly admitted, with a self deprecating smile. "But I know the guards. They're all that's left of the Death Dealers, Selene, and they'll be willing to help if the right person asks."

His meaning was clear enough. If a pack of Lycans strode onto the grounds, the Death Dealers would do what they had been trained to do, but if one of their own was there to give them guidance...

It didn't take her long to agree.

"Alright then." Selene turned to Lucian, "Just after sunset?"

He nodded his assent, galvanizing the teams into action. They had weapons to prepare and more concise strategies to organize, but come Hell or high water, Ordoghaz was going to belong to them in just over two hours.

For his part, Lucian wanted some time alone to think, so he left the crowded room and took the stairs to the upper level of the abandoned farmhouse, wandering out into the sunlight with his hands clasped behind his back. He turned his head up to the sun's rays, closing his eyes against the brightness. It could very well be the last time he ever felt such glorious warmth.

He wondered if Olivia was warm? Was she frightened? Was she even still alive? Lucian shook his head to dispel such thoughts. If Olivia was no longer breathing, he would know. They had a connection between them. A strong one that only death could break.

As the sun began its slow exodus towards the horizon, shooting fingers of scarlet, orange and gold throughout the sky, Lucian contemplated his fate. He would be walking out of Ordoghaz tonight with Olivia on his arm or he'd kill every last Vampyre left in that mansion unto his dying breath.

"And so it begins." Lucian murmured as the sun blazed it's farewell. He was a few short hours away from releasing the rage that had been building inside him ever since Olivia's kidnapping. "Love and vengeance live together as one. I'm coming, Olivia."


	19. Shadows and Spirits

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter Nineteen - Shadows and Spirits**

Kraven crept to the door, as silent as a lion stalking its prey, and rested his elegant hand on the latch. The woman's scent was strong, even through the solid oak door. Her natural muskiness tinged with terror was intoxicating and he closed his eyes, breathing deeply of it, savoring the aroma as one would savor the first breath of a fine brandy. The surge of raw power and lust that coursed through him was almost overwhelming as he thought of how close he was to finally realizing his ambitions.

The woman's Corvinus blood would make her universally accepted as Queen of the coven. Especially now, with two of the elders gone and the third reduced to nothing more than a raving madman. Kraven knew it wouldn't take much to wheedle his way into a seat of power at her side. As her Sire, he would most assuredly be granted special privileges. After all, she would need guidance while assuming control over the coven and who better to guide her than he? Kraven almost laughed out loud with the pleasure of it. All the centuries of scheming and plotting and failed plans would be worth it, in the end, when he held the ultimate power within his grasp.

"Back away from the door."

Kraven paused and turned slowly towards the voice, cursing himself for not paying closer attention to his surroundings. How had she found him?

"Just what are you planning this time, Kraven?" Erika hissed, her eyes glowing brightly in the dim hallway.

"Something that doesn't concern you." He made a dismissive sound low in his throat. "You shouldn't have followed me, Erika."

"You're wrong, you know. Everything you do concerns me." Erika brought her hand up and Kraven found himself staring at the wrong end of a very large gun. "I'm not going to let you ruin things for me again, Kraven. _I will be Queen_!"

Kraven's laughter was harsh and loud in the hushed hallway, "You? Queen? Did you really believe that I'd take a low born creature such as yourself as my wife?"

The gun shook in Erika's hand and she brought her other one up to help steady it. "All these years I've served you, Kraven. I've done everything you ever asked of me. I deserve the chance to rule far more than you do! I never turned my back on the coven and I never plotted with the filthy Lycan's against my own kind…like you did."

"So you believe the lies now, do you?" Kraven asked quietly, his head tilted to the side as he pondered her statement.

Erika shook her head, "You're the one that told lies, Kraven. To me and everyone else. Knowing that I unwittingly helped you destroy all that I once held dear sickens me."

Kraven was silent, racking his brain for a solution to this little dilemma. He was so close, dammit!

"Put the gun down, Erika, before you hurt yourself." He said the words dismissively. After all, it wasn't like the bullets would kill him, but he couldn't afford to be injured. Not now, when timing was everything.

"Not until you leave Ordoghaz." Erika answered, her pointed chin held high. "Without the human."

A tentative knocking on the door startled them both. Erika's finger tightened involuntarily on the trigger of the unfamiliar weapon, almost letting loose a hail of bullets. She quickly removed her shaking fingers from the trigger. Kraven's indrawn breath was nothing more than a hiss when he realized how close Erika had come to ruining everything.

"Hello? Is…is someone out there?" The woman's voice was childlike; plaintive and questioning, fearful and alone.

"Erika, that's enough of this foolishness." Kraven had taken advantage of her momentary lapse in concentration and sidled up next to her.

He knocked the gun from her hands and held her wrists in a cruel, viselike grip. "I order you to leave! Go back to Ireland and wait for me there. I'll send you word as soon as I've…"

"As soon as you've what? Turned the human into your Queen?" Now it was Erika's turn to laugh. The sound a brittle, maniacal twitter. "You really want her? Even knowing that she's spread her legs for a Lycan? For Christ's sake, Kraven. The woman is Lucian's whore!"

"And you're mine!" Kraven spat back at her, slamming her against the wall. "Now be a good girl and do as I say, or neither of us will get out of this place alive!"

"Please!" The woman's voice was a bit stronger this time, as was the tap she made against the door. "All I want is a light! It's so dark in here…"

The scent of rose water drifted towards them and Kraven stilled, his senses fully alert as he searched out the source of it. Voices tinkling with laughter sounded in the hallway, moving rapidly in their direction.

"Blood fucking hell!" Kraven hissed. He tossed Erika away from himself. "Well? Don't just stand there, you stupid cow! Run and hide!" Kraven took his own advice and ran down the hall on silent feet, away from the approaching voices.

"Yeah, you're good at that, aren't you, my love?" Erika muttered after his retreating figure. "Run and hide, indeed."

Erika grabbed the gun from where it had fallen and quickly slipped into another room a few doors down, across the hall from the woman's. She left the door open a crack, peering through the tiny slit as six Vampyre women that she vaguely recognized drew up outside the woman's door. They were carrying an assortment food and bathing necessities, including steaming buckets of rose scented water.

"I heard that she fought Eston's team like a wild animal!" said a mousy looking creature, a worried frown creasing her brow.

"Do you want to go back and tell the Master that you're too frightened of the human to prepare her for the ceremony?" asked an elderly woman, her ample bosom heaving beneath the weight of a copper tub. The younger one gave a quick, nervous shake of her head.

"I doubt she'll fight us anyway, once she sees what we've brought her. What woman doesn't enjoy a hot, cleansing bath? She's been through a lot lately, being kept prisoner by the Lycan's. There's no telling what the beasts did to her." The old woman clucked her tongue in a motherly fashion, standing aside as another woman cautiously opened the solid door.

Erika's lip curled back from her fangs as she watched the women enter the room. Then she crept silently from her hiding spot and set off to find Kraven.

* * *

"Oh you poor dear! How long have you been sitting here in the dark?" 

Olivia shielded her eyes against the bright blaze of candlelight. She blinked a few times, searching for the owner of the kind voice. A group of women, of varying shapes, sizes and age, had surrounded her. Olivia was glad to see that none of them seemed especially threatening. In fact, most looked as terrified as she herself felt.

"There, now." A grandmotherly woman exclaimed, a smile lighting up her plump, lined face. "Light always helps banish away fear, doesn't it? I'm so sorry we didn't get here sooner, dear. Things have been rather confused around here lately. I'm Magdalene."

"Are you…are you here to let me go?" Olivia asked tentatively.

Magdalene's brow creased, "Let you go? Why, whatever do you mean?"

"I need to get back home…"

Magdalene exchanged a worried glance with the other women, "But, sweetheart…You are home."

"No, you have it all wrong. I don't belong here." Olivia rubbed at her temples, trying to make sense of the old woman's words. She felt so disconnected after spending hours with only her fears as company. "I need to get back to him, to Lucian. Please…you have to help me!"

The women shuffled their feet nervously, looking anywhere but at Olivia. Magdalene approached the young woman and placed her gnarled hands gently on the petite, shaking shoulders. "Mistress Olivia. You've been through a terrible ordeal, I know it, but you must listen to me. You're safe now. We'll not let those filthy Lycan's put their hands on you again."

Olivia shrugged off the old woman's hands and backed away as the realization sunk in. They all looked so normal, like any other women she might pass on the street, but they weren't like her. They weren't human.

"You're one of them, aren't you? All of you! You're Bloods…" She came up against the chilly stone wall and hugged her arms with shaking hands. "What do you want from me? Why did you take me from him?"

"Mistress…"

"I'm not your Mistress! Quit calling me that. I need to leave this place…" Olivia laughed hysterically, "What am I saying? I don't even know where I am! Even if I did, I wouldn't know how to find him." Tears pooled in her eyes and the stricken faces of the Vampyre's blurred.

Magdalene squared her shoulders and, with a flick of her wrist, sent the other women scurrying from the room. When she spoke, her voice was smooth and low, meant to stave off the younger woman's fears.

"Heed my words, Olivia. Whether you want to be here or not is beside the point. You have been brought here during a most dreadful time. The coven is in dire straights and must be saved. You are the only one that can do it. You, Olivia, are our last hope. You are a Corvinus.…and the Corvinus' do not consort with Lycans."

"Times change." Olivia answered simply. Magdalene's words had dragged a small sliver of her former self out of hiding. "And this Corvinus does more than just consort with Lycans. She loves one."

"Hush!" Terror filled Magdalene's eyes as she glanced quickly from Olivia to the door. Her voice was no more than a whisper when she next spoke. "Do not speak of such things in this house. It can only lead to death!"

"Then I choose death." Olivia's chin came up. "I don't know what your Master wants with me, but I'll not give in to his demands. I love Lucian and if that means my death, then so be it."

Magdalene rushed to the open door and peered into the corridor. Olivia steeled herself, for what was to come, fully expecting the woman to raise a hue and cry. She was shocked, then, when Magdalene turned to her with relief etched into her features.

"You were lucky this time. The corridor is empty of eyes and ears." Magdalene shook her head, "What is it about that man that can turn the most intelligent woman into nothing more than a simpering fool?"

"What?" Olivia asked stupidly, not sure that she'd heard the woman right.

"Lucian! Damn him…he can never leave well enough alone, can he? Always stirring up trouble in the name of love." Magdalene sighed and began to pace the room. "I remember him from long ago, of course and though you look nothing like Sonja, your spirit is the same as hers. I can see why he was attracted to you." She stopped her pacing and turned resolutely to Olivia. "Listen to me. There is nothing he can do for you now. Markus wants you and Markus will have you, come hell or high water."

"No…"

"Yes!" Magdalene's words were emphatic now. "Listen to me, girl. I was there before. I saw what they did to Lucian and his unlawful bride. If it were possible for someone to die of a broken heart, he would have perished with Sonja that day. If you truly love him, then ask yourself this: Do you think Lucian would survive the death of another beloved? Do you want him to suffer through that again? I tell you, in all the centuries I've lived, I've never seen a man love a woman as deeply as he loved his Sonja. It's a miracle that Lucian has survived this long. Do you really want to be the death of him? Because _if you die_, Olivia, then Lucian will as well. I feel it in my very soul. No one could survive that kind of pain twice in one lifetime."

Olivia's skin prickled as though Sonja's spirit had brushed up against her in passing. It seemed like the long-dead Vampyre Princess was begging Olivia to think carefully before making her choice.

Would he try to rescue her? Was Lucian, even now, hunting for her? Would he place Olivia's life over the safety of his clan? He had spent centuries trying to lift his people up from obscurity. Would he forfeit all that he'd worked for because of her? She knew the strength of his spirit and she couldn't believe that he would do that. No matter how much he loved her.

Should she sacrifice her life in the name of their love, as Sonja had done? By doing that, Olivia could save Lucian the pain of knowing that she was alive, yet no longer his to hold and cherish.

Or should she allow herself to become the bride of a monster? Just the thought of anyone else touching her the way Lucian had was enough to turn her stomach into a ball of ice, but maybe she could then bring an end to the war, giving the Lycan's a chance to live in a way that they'd never known, but had always deserved.

Which choice would cause Lucian less pain?

And could she find strength enough within herself to make it?


	20. The Reckoning

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Author's Note: **Well, here it is…finally…The End. It was so long that I chose to divide it into three chapters, plus the epilogue. I hope you all like it and I hope it's not too confusing (there's a lot of different Point-Of-View's _and _I wrote it all up pretty quickly…if there's a bunch of screw-ups, let me know...) I'm thankful that you all kept hitting me up with reviews/requests…if it wasn't for all of you, I probably wouldn't have ever been able to finish this. So, thanks!

**Chapter Twenty - The Reckoning**

The massive dog's ears twitched and he rose swiftly to his feet without making a sound. The movement alerted the sentry and the Death Dealer turned, scanning the darkness. The dog hadn't barked, but nothing was normal these days and he didn't want to take any chances. His gun lifted as a shadow separated itself from the rest and walked steadily towards him.

"Stand down, Cortez. It's only me."

The familiar cockney accent rang through the night air, causing a grin to break out on the Vampyre's face. "Kahn? Is it really you, sir?"

"Of course it's me." Kahn replied, shaking hands with the other man. "You have no idea how good it is to see you. Are the others in the barracks?"

"Yes, sir, and it's good to see you too, sir."

"Come along with me then." Kahn said, "Never mind your duties. I have a more important job for you and the others tonight."

* * *

Lucian blended seamlessly with the night, his outline broken by the winter- stripped trees surrounding him. Staring at the wrought iron fence that surrounded the mansion, he wanted to laugh. Any Lycan worth his salt could leap over the barrier with no trouble and he intended to do just that…any minute now.

Lucian didn't need to use his heightened sense's to know Olivia was near. He could feel her. It was as though an electric current surrounded him, coursed through him, making his heart beat faster and his skin pull taut over his body. She was somewhere close by and she would be in his arms soon. He would not lose another chance at happiness; another chance at having a family to call his own.

"If they've laid so much as a hand upon you…" Lucian whispered.

He wanted to storm the place now and it took all his willpower to fight back the urge. They had a plan. He had to stick to the plan or all would be lost. His Olivia would be lost. Now wasn't the time to let loose the savage beast within.

So he stood silently…and waited for the signal.

* * *

Olivia followed Magdalene in a daze. The wispy, white cloth of the dress she now wore clung to her legs like fog. Almost translucent, it barely covered her body and she'd balked at putting it on, but Magdalene had insisted. Olivia's bare feet were chilled as they traversed a seemingly endless series of twists and turns that seemed to take them far belowground. She'd thought of running for it, but the fact was, she had no idea which way to go and everywhere she looked, Vampyre's stared back, their faces emotionless masks.

She had made the wrong decision. She knew that now. Death would have been infinitely better than this…this mockery. She had thought that by sacrificing herself, she could help Lucian and his clan in some way. That maybe she would be powerful enough to influence a treaty of some sort between the two species, but having seen with her own eyes the faces of her future "subjects", she knew that it would never be possible. There was hate simmering beneath the surface here, a level of pain and terror that she had never before seen.

But, then…there was another reason for choosing this path. A selfish one, perhaps, but it had influenced her even more than her fear of death had…

Magdalene stopped in front of an open doorway, gesturing Olivia forward. The Vampyres crowded close behind as she stepped inside. Her first impression, as she caught sight of the cavernous room, was that it was old. Old and frozen in time. Celtic designs had been painstakingly carved into the stone walls, three obelisks monopolized the floor. She expected to see torches and candelabrum spread throughout the place, but instead, it was lit with subdued modern lighting that enhanced the surrealism of her predicament.

"Ah. My bride arrives." The voice was deceptively soft. A low baritone that crawled along her spine, lifting the hairs at the nape of her neck.

Olivia's eyes locked onto the sinister figure moving towards her. He was encased from head to toe in black; a silken hood obscured his features, a heavy velvet robe covered his body, leather boots gleamed. Eston stood at his side, haughty brows raised, his lips twisted into a caricature of a smile.

Olivia began to quake with fear and her hands lifted in a gesture meant to ward him off. She couldn't let this happen. She couldn't let him destroy Lucian in this way. Better that he should lose her to death than to this evil figure emulating death.

"N-n-no." She stammered, stumbling back a step.

A cold draft lifted the filmy silk of her gown as he moved with lightening speed. Olivia gasped as Markus caught her arm in a viselike grip. The feel of his gloved hand on her body made her skin crawl and she struggled against his unnatural strength.

"You don't have a choice. Not now, anyway." Markus was unyielding as he began to drag her towards an altar that she had not previously spotted. Eston stood next to it, eagerly awaiting his Master's soon-to-be bride.

When Olivia saw the chains, she began to scream.

* * *

Selene took a deep breath to steady her nerves. There were too many entrances to this place, this mausoleum that she'd once called home, and they didn't have nearly enough people to cover them all. Though she'd taken her time in choosing the points of entry for each team, she still wondered if she'd placed them in the best spots. She found herself going over and over the plan, wondering if it would work, second guessing herself. That was something she'd never done before and it bothered her more than she wanted to admit.

Shaking her head ruefully, Selene waited for the pre-arranged sign from Kahn. If all had gone according to plan, he would be inside now with what was left of the Death Dealers. Kahn was to knock out the security cameras while the others set themselves up in strategic spots throughout the mansion, so when Selene made _her _move and drew the Vampyres towards herself, the Death Dealers could converge, effectively trapping the Vampyres. The last thing they needed was for Lucian to storm the front door and find himself face to face with every last Vampyre left in Ordoghaz. He was strong, but still…that was a complication they didn't need. So it would be up to her and the other's to keep the majority of the Vampyre's busy.

Finally, a voice sounded in her headset.

"Team Three is in place."

"Alright then." Selene answered, signaling to the Lycan's behind her. She felt a momentary twinge, knowing her back was being covered by those that had recently been her enemy, but she shrugged it off. Times had changed.

"On my count. Three, two, one…_fire_."

The door ahead of her exploded in a hail of flames and shattered wood. She drew her weapons and ran through the acrid smoke, keeping low, her eyes searching for potential threats. Hoping against all hope that the plan worked.

Olivia's life depended on it.

* * *

Lucian heard the blast and his breathing quickened. He allowed a small sliver of his inner self to come to life, relishing the feel of the ancient blood that pumped through his veins as his fangs elongated and his eyesight sharpened. He forced himself to wait a full two minutes before charging from the woods on silent feet and soaring over the fence. His boots crunched on the gravel drive as he ran full-out towards the front door where he let loose with a flying kick. The door burst inward, splintered shards flying in all directions. Lucian allowed the momentum to propel him forward into the grandiose residence. He unleashed his daggers and in one smooth stroke, decapitated two Vampyres that rushed at him. The few others that were in the front room ran away from the sightless stares of their now-dead comrades.

Lucian used the moment of solitude to search for Olivia with his preternatural senses. Selene had drawn him a diagram of the mansion, outlining the most probable places for where Olivia was being held. He'd memorized the map, but his wolf's ears picked up a familiar cry and he quickly realized he wouldn't need Selene's directions. Olivia was calling out to him.

With a low growl issuing from his throat, he loped off towards his love.

* * *

Olivia's eyes had roved frantically over the numerous faces that now crowded the chamber, desperate for someone's help as Markus dragged her towards a fate she couldn't accept. Despite her frenzied struggles, Markus had tossed her onto the stone altar and held her down as Eston moved in with the chains. Her eyes locked with Magdalene's sorrowful ones and all hope flew from her breast. All was lost.

The shackles were ice-cold and heavy against her delicate wrists, the sounds of the locking mechanism severely loud in the silence that hung over the room. When Eston moved to secure her legs, Olivia kicked out. Her bare foot caught him in the jaw, knocking him off balance, yet he regained his grip on her and moved to place a shackle around her slim ankle.

At that moment, an explosion rocked the mansion. Dust rained down from the vaulted ceiling and a confused panic broke out amongst the Vampyres. Some ran from the room, others ran towards Markus, hoping his strength could save them from whatever calamity was occurring. Eston dropped the shackle he was holding and it hit the altar with an obnoxious clang. He was torn away from Olivia by the seething mob and she tried to sit up, but the chains around her wrists wouldn't allow her upper body to move more than a few inches away from the cold slab beneath her. Nevertheless, adrenaline flooded her system.

The explosion could mean only one thing.

Lucian was here.

Olivia took a deep breath and screamed. The name of her lover echoing back to her from the stone walls. She kept repeating it, over and over, until Markus slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Enough!" He shouted over the panicked crowd. His command was loud and tyrannical enough to cause more than a few of the Vampyres to fall cowering to the floor.

"What has become of this coven? Am I now a leader of sniveling, whining cowards?" When no answer was forthcoming, he pointed towards the door. "Go now and fight! And hear this, if a single Lycan enters this holiest of rooms, I will burn this place down with all of you in it!"

His words caused an immediate exodus. Olivia caught Magdalene's eye once more and silently pleaded with the Vampyress, hoping against all hope that the woman would help her. It was with great relief that, after a split-second pause, Magdalene nodded decidedly and began to shove her way through the crowd.

Magdalene would find Lucian and lead him to Olivia.

* * *

Michael didn't know when it had happened, only that it had. At some point during the fight, he had morphed into his Hybrid self. The bones of his enemies cracked beneath his clawed grip like toothpicks as he grabbed the Vampyres, tossing them through the air like rag dolls. All around him, Lycans in their own natural forms were ripping into the Vamps, tearing them into pieces. Blood and gore splattered the hall where they fought. If the Vamps had had weapons full of silver nitrate, the tables would have been tragically turned, but during the past few months, the Vampyres had been busy with more important matters…like trying to stay under the radar of their lunatic Elder. Now, they were reduced to fighting with whatever weapons they could lay hand to; ancient swords, daggers and pikes. One had a mace, but found out too late that there wasn't enough room in the hallway to swing it properly.

Michael had not been expecting this slaughter. He supposed he should have, but he'd been naïve, thinking that the Vamps would run, rather than stand and fight against the odds.

Then Selene was there, her eyes lit with scorching blue flame as she fired her guns into the next wave of charging Vampyres. The bullets wouldn't kill them, but it did manage to slow them down. Michael was relieved to see Selene alive and well. The Lycans hadn't turned and attacked her, as he'd feared they would while caught up in a raving bloodlust.

But even more surprising was the fact that he didn't feel himself losing control like he normally did when he was fighting as the Hybrid. It was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. He didn't know what to make of it, but was thankful nonetheless. The last thing Michael wanted was to be tranq'd into unconsciousness while Olivia was still at the mercy of the Vampyres.

Selene dragged an injured Vamp into the nearest room, signaling Michael to follow. She threw her once-brethren against the wall, ignoring the man's shriek of agony.

"Where is she?" Selene asked in cold tones.

He had the audacity to spit into her face. "The inner workings of the coven are none of your concern, you traitorous bitch!"

"What have you done with my cousin?" Michael roared, twisting both of the Blood's arms behind his back, grinding the bones into dust.

"You're too late!" The Blood screamed, "She is Markus' bride now!"

The Vampyre's answer was not one any of them had considered. Michael snapped the man's neck with a flick of his wrist and turned to Selene.

"Any ideas?" Michael asked helplessly.

"Maybe." She answered simply, turning towards the door.

* * *

Lucian encountered very few Vampyres as he descended beneath the ground in search of Olivia and those few he did meet came to a quick end. He was consumed with a blinding fury. He could smell Olivia now; her fear and uncertainty, sadness and shame. But her scent was everywhere down here, it seemed to reach him from every crack in every stone and the longer he searched, the more desperate he became.

"Lucian!"

The urgent whisper penetrated the red haze of anger that engulfed him. Lucian crouched, spinning with his daggers held out before him.

A startled shriek tore from the plump Vampyress as she stumbled back. "You've learned some new moves, I see."

Lucian tilted his head, perusing the woman. Memories assaulted him; ghosts of the past flitted through his mind. "Magdalene?"

Sonja's nursemaid inclined her head towards the ferocious Lycan. "You're going the wrong way, Lucian. Olivia is this way." Magdalene turned, "We must hurry, Lucian. There isn't much time."

Lucian had no reason to doubt the woman and more than enough reasons to trust her. She had been the only one that had known of his and Sonja's marriage. She had covered for them on numerous occasions…until the disastrous night when they had been caught…

Lucian shook his head clear of the images. He could not think of Sonja, not now. Sonja was dead, there was nothing he could do for her, but Olivia was still alive and she needed him. He would save her, if it was the last thing he did.

Magdalene made a series of turns, leading him away from the tumult he knew was taking place upstairs. Even before she stopped walking and gestured towards the open doorway, he could hear voices…one in particular ringing loud and clear.

_Markus._

Lucian stepped towards the open doorway.


	21. The Hour is Nigh

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter TwentyOne - The Hour is Nigh**

Olivia kicked furiously at Eston with her bare feet. He'd somehow managed to extricate himself from the crowd and was once again attempting to shackle her legs.

Markus brushed him aside impatiently. "There's no time for that now!" He reached up and, to Olivia's horror, removed his mask.

Olivia stared at Markus with dread fascination. She had expected to come face to face with a hideous monster. Instead, she found herself looking into a handsome, patrician face that was shockingly attractive. His long, reddish-gold hair was swept regally back from a high brow, flowing past his broad shoulders to hang down his back. Markus gazed back at her with blue eyes full of a fierce intelligence, but that was misleading, for there was a madness lurking deep within the cobalt depths, if one looked close enough.

Olivia was looking close enough.

"Please don't do this." She whispered.

Markus laughed, pulling the gloves from his hands slowly, finger by finger. "Hush, now. There's nothing to fear from me. I'm about to make you the strongest immortal to ever walk the earth! Just think…" he stated, tossing the gloves to the floor. "You're going to be the first pureblood Hybrid. Now, isn't that exciting?"

His heavy robe soon followed the gloves and Markus stood before her, clothed in an embroidered silk shirt and tailored pants. His behavior was completely opposite of what Olivia had expected. Markus should have been raving, frothing at the mouth, tearing at his hair…anything besides the calm and collected posture he was showing her.

"But I don't want to be a Hybrid. I want to stay a human!" Olivia pleaded.

Markus, in the process of rolling up his sleeves, paused. He quirked a brow at her in amusement. "Don't be absurd, you silly chit."

Then he waved a hand negligently through the air, "Ah, but there's really nothing to discuss, is there? It will all be over soon and then you'll be on your knees thanking me for saving you from a mortal existence. An existence that would have been spent in the arms of a _Lycan_, no less."

"Lucian's here, you know. He's coming for me." Olivia stated flatly, willing her voice not to tremble. "And he'll kill you for ever daring to lay a hand on me."

"More astute words have never been spoken, Olivia."

Markus went deathly still and Olivia's head snapped to the side. The image of her lover shimmered as her eyes filled with tears. "Lucian…"

Lucian's gaze shifted suddenly to Markus. Olivia followed suit and to her horror, saw that Markus' blue eyes had changed into the midnight black of a Hybrid. His skin was a glossy gray, not quite as dark as Michael's Hybrid skin, but still, it marked him for what he was. The graceful carriage of the Vampyres was accentuated in Markus' Hybrid form and his fangs were longer, sharper than they should have been.

Markus glanced at Lucian, a mocking smile on his face.

"This is an oddly familiar position, is it not, Lucian?" Markus clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "You're too late…yet again."

With a horrid, hungry growl, Markus opened his jaws wide and bent to his bride.Olivia caught a flash of movement from the corner of her eye, but she knew that Markus was right. Lucian was too late.

She couldn't hold back her screams of terrified anguish as Markus' Hybrid incisors pierced the tender skin of her neck. An agonizing burn flowed through her like liquid fire as the Hybrid virus began infecting her bloodstream within seconds. It shredded her human cells, replacing them with monstrous ones. Olivia writhed from the pain, arching her back and pulling against the chains that held her down, screaming until her throat was raw.

Her vision blurred, yet she could still make out a pale figure as it streaked through the air over her prostrate form. She felt the brush of soft fur against her tear-damp cheek, smelled the musky maleness of the one she recognized as her mate.

Markus' fangs were torn violently from her throat and white-hot agony shot through her. Olivia's body fought against the invading virus that Markus had unleashed, but the war was short-lived. She felt the change beginning, even as a blessed darkness descended upon her.

* * *

Selene and Michael reached the Elder's Sanctuary just as Lucian, in his full Lycan form, slammed into Markus. The two powerful immortals hit the floor in a mass of limbs and razor sharp teeth, growls and hissing issuing forth from the combatants. Olivia gave one last agonized cry, then her thrashing suddenly stopped. Michael rushed forward, desperation clutching at his heart. Blood oozed from the ragged puncture wounds in Olivia's throat, running in twin rivulets to pool beneath her, staining her auburn curls an unnatural shade of red. She was so pale and still. He couldn't even tell if she was breathing.

"Michael!"

Selene's cry drew his attention from Olivia and he turned to see Lucian fly through the air. The Lycan smashed against a pillar with enough force to create a jagged crack that ran like lightening through the ancient stone. With a yelp of pain, Lucian struggled to rise as Markus slowly advanced on him. Michael let loose with a roar that came from the depths of his being and charged the other Hybrid.

The intensity of the collision between the two Hybrids caused them both to stagger and fall to the floor. Michael's hands curled around Markus' throat in a attempt to strangle him into unconsciousness, if not death, but Markus was strong and Michael was used to fighting Lycan's and Vampyres, not another of his own kind. He wasn't prepared for the strength of his opponent as Markus shoved his own arms between Michael's. Markus forced Michael to relinquish his grip or face having his arms broken. When he did let go, Markus moved in for the kill, but Michael was quick and Markus' fangs sank deep into his shoulder, missing his neck by a few scant inches. Michael tore himself free from the other's grasp and rolled away in a daze. Selene used the moment to unload her Beretta's into the other Hybrid, but it didn't even slow Markus down.

He moved with the speed that only an immortal possesses and reached Lucian within seconds, raising the Lycan Leader above his head triumphantly. Though Lucian struggled, snarling and snapping his bone crushing jaws at his captor, he could not escape and Markus prepared to crush the Lycan's spine.

There was nothing that either Selene or Michael could do to stop him.

* * *

Olivia awoke from her unconscious state swiftly. There was no lingering drowsiness to suggest that anything traumatic had occurred. The sickening, burning agony that had been all encompassing a moment ago was gone. In its stead was a mind-clearing power. Her vision was sharper than it had ever been. She could see spiders spinning their webs at the highest reaches of the vaulted ceiling. Her hearing was enhanced as well. The anguished moans of injured Vampyres in the upper reaches of the mansion reached her clearly.

And she could hear Lucian, struggling for his very life against Markus.

Markus…the defiler of her body…rapist of her soul.

A passionate wrath took over her and Olivia yanked her arms upward, feeling the chains that bound her wrists pull free from their stone moorings. Within the blink of an eye, she found herself facing Markus on the other side of the room, her lover held prisoner within his clutches.

Olivia used the only weapons she had at hand, the chains that had left her helpless in the face of Markus' insane whimsy. She twirled them over her head, hearing the spinning, whirring sound intensify as they picked up speed.

Then she let the chains loose.

They wrapped around Markus' legs, gouging deep into his flesh, spraying her with his blood. His grip on Lucian slipped and the Lycan dropped free, twisting in mid-air to land nimbly on his feet. Markus tottered to the ground, trying vainly to reach the binding chains as Olivia drew him towards herself with a vicious tug on the metal links.

"You have given me strength such as I never imagined, Markus. Strength that I never wanted, power that I begged not to have. I can't change that now, but there is one thing I want you to know, before you die…" Olivia's voice was hushed, but everyone heard her words. "…I am Lucian's bride, not yours."

As though by mutual consent, the two lovers fell on the prostrate form of their nemesis and ended his reign of terror in a moment of animalistic rage.


	22. Tides of Change

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Underworld or it's characters, so don't sue. The other characters and subsequent storylines are mine, so don't infringe. Many Thanks.

**Chapter TwentyTwo - Tides of Change**

Olivia faced her mate over the decimated body of their foe. Before her was the image of himself that Lucian had not wanted to her see, though she could not understand why. He was beautiful to her eyes, magnificent. His white fur was silver tipped, his strength beyond measure. She tried to step towards him, but the shock of her change and of what she had just done, caught up with her and she collapsed to her knees.

Lucian was there in an instant, kneeling before her, pulling her in close to his body, taking the chill away from her. She rested her weary head against his immense chest, letting the sound of his beating heart soothe her. It was a moment before she realized he was holding her with only one arm. His other one was hanging limply at his side.

"You're hurt." Olivia exclaimed, reaching out to touch his injured limb.

Lucian backed away, cradling his arm. Olivia thought he was withdrawing in shame from her and she tried to follow, but he shook his head, motioning for her to stay put. Within two heartbeats, he had changed from wolf to man.

"My arm will heal." His voice was rough from the change, but Olivia had never heard a more welcome sound in her life. "I'm so sorry that I did not get here in time. Can you ever forgive me?"

Olivia placed gentle fingers against his lips, noting the stark difference between her Hybrid skin and his own. "Hush, darling. You're here now and that's all that matters."

"But…" Lucian stammered, tears in his eyes. "What of our child…is he…"

Olivia reached out and took his hand, placing it gently against her belly. "Lucian, your son is alive and growing stronger with every minute that passes. He will be a warrior to contend with, just like his father, when he's grown."

Lucian pulled her to him with his good arm, nestling his head against her shoulder and let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "I had feared…"

She murmured to him, "I know, but it's alright. Everything is fine now."

After a couple of moments had passed, Selene approached the couple with Markus' discarded robe in her hands. "Lucian…" She raised her eyebrow questioningly.

"Thank you." He murmured, a soft smile flitting across his features. "One of the drawbacks to being Lycan. We tend to go through a lot of clothing."

"I suppose I'll have to learn to sew then, won't I?" Olivia remarked, helping Lucian into the robe.

"Master!" The shocked cry drew their attention as Eston raced to Markus' lifeless form. Hatred filled his eyes as he looked to Olivia. "What have you done? What will become of us now, with no Elder to lead us? The Coven has been destroyed!"

"You don't need to worry, _Servant_." Olivia said icily, staring down at the kneeling figure. "You're time with the Coven has effectively come to an end. Sunrise will find you staked out in the courtyard…next to your beloved Master's remains. May you both burn in Hell for what you have done."

Selene and Michael jerked the Vampyre to his feet. Eston struggled against them, but was no match for the combined strength of the Death Dealer and her Hybrid mate.

Intent on Eston and his struggles, none of them saw the figure that detached itself from the shadows until it was almost too late.

"No!" The female voice rang out sharply and, as one, the group turned to find an attractive blonde Vampyress pointing a gun towards Lucian.

"Erika! What are you doing?" Selene spoke in astonishment. "Put down the bloody gun!"

"Kraven…" Erika whispered.

"Shut up, you stupid bitch!" Kraven was standing not fifteen feet from Lucian with a six foot, silver tipped pike held at the ready.

"Why did you have to follow me here, Erika? Everything would have worked out perfectly, if you had just done what you were told. But, no! You've always been so damned curious, always sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong and now look at what's happened!" Kraven gestured manically towards Olivia, his rose rising to a fevered pitch with every word he spoke. "She was meant to be my Queen, a Vampyre of Corvinus descent, sired by me. Now she's been tainted by that lunatic Hybrid. Even worse, she's breeding…by a Lycan! The Coven can't be ruled by her!"

Olivia gave an astonished laugh, "So you're Kraven…the lying, thieving, back-stabber I've heard so much about. Funny…you're nothing like what I pictured." All the laughter deserted Olivia's voice and her eyes grew hard. "The Coven _will _be ruled by me. As for you, Kraven…" She turned to Lucian, "What do you think we should do with him, love?"

Lucian eyed the Vampyre with distaste, remembering all the deals he'd been forced to make with him and the subsequent breaking of those deals. He remembered the pain of being pumped full of silver nitrate, of seeing everything he'd worked so hard to build come crashing down. "I'd like nothing more than to tear him limb from bloody limb with my own two hands. Unfortunately, there's a lot of others who I'm sure would love to do the same."

"If I'm about to die, I'm not going out alone!" Kraven lifted his arm back, preparing to pierce Lucian's body with it. "And I'm going to make damn sure you stay dead this time!"

"Kraven, no!" Erika screamed.

"Stay out of it, Erika. This doesn't concern you." Kraven said, glancing between his prey and his lover.

"Drop your weapon, Kraven." Olivia ordered, wondering if she could move fast enough to stop him from launching the pike at Lucian. For Lucian to have survived the worst that Markus had to offer, only to fall at the hands of this cowardly bastard was unthinkable.

It suddenly seemed as though everyone was shouting at once. Orders were hollered, curses were flung. All the words blended into a cacophony of unintelligible sounds. Olivia saw Kraven's arm come back, saw him heft the pike, balance it in his hand...

Gunshots rang out, silencing everyone at once as though a switch had been thrown.

Kraven looked stunned as he fell to his knees, his hands grasping the edges of his shirt, tearing it open. A gaping crater marred the flesh there, iridescent blue flames licking at the skin.

"Erika?" He spoke the name quietly, questioningly. Then the UV reacted, eating away at him from the inside out despite his angst-filled screams. Within seconds, he had collapsed into a worthless pile of bones and ash.

"Holy shit." Olivia's blunt statement broke through the silence. "What the fuck just happened?"

"I can't believe I just did that. Selene, why did I do that? I shouldn't have killed him…he loved me, I know he did, in his own way…it's just that I was so angry…and…he lied…and…" Erika burst into hysterical tears and Selene wrapped her arms about the inconsolable woman.

"Where did you find the UV bullets?" Selene asked quietly when Erika's tears had slowed. She had taken the gun from Erika's trembling hands and was examining the clip of glowing bullets.

"After the last battle…when so many Death Dealers died, I snuck into Kahn's office. I wanted a weapon, some way to protect myself in case the Lycans…" Erika swallowed convulsively, glancing at Lucian. "…well, I thought they would be coming here next. I couldn't find any silver nitrate bullets…but I thought that if they came…I wouldn't let them take me…I'd rather…" Erika's hands fluttered helplessly as her gaze came to rest on Kraven's ashes.

"God, what have I done?" she whispered, looking to Oliviawith haunted eyes.

"You did the only thing that could be done. Kraven wouldn't have stopped until he had destroyed us all." Olivia answered. Then she dismissed Lucian's would-be killer from her mind and turned to address the others.

"Gather up all the survivors, both Lycan and Vampyre. We'll meet in the courtyard within the hour. There are things that need to be dealt with before dawn."

Olivia's reign had begun.


	23. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_After that fateful night at Ordoghaz, the war between the Vampyres and Lycans essentially came to an end. Skirmishes still broke out on occasion, as was to be expected from two such different species, but those disputes were minor and easily resolved. _

_Olivia and Lucian left the affairs of Europe in the capable hands of Selene and Michael, choosing to return to America where fate had first brought them together. Between the four of them, they managed to create a powerful alliance between two immortal species that had spent centuries trying to eliminate each other._

_Nicolae, called Nicu by his proud parents, was born that summer. He was the first Hybrid child to ever draw breath and Vampyres and Lycans the world over rejoiced with the news, for with the coming of little Nicu, came hope._

_When Selene gave birth to Michael's daughter a few months later, they chose to name her Sonja, after the brave Vampyress that had dared to defy everything in the name of love…and had sacrificed her life for it._


End file.
